Advanced Nursing Skills: Principles and Practice

by Molly Courtenay

Overview

The expanded practices and new roles which nurses are currently undertaking are often in areas in which a sound knowledge of the life sciences is essential if the physiological processes underlying a patient's condition are to be understood. This book examines a number of key advanced nursing skills, in each case describing the research evidence upon which best practice is based, as well as the practical aspects of the individual techniques involved. The required knowledge from the life sciences is also provided in a clear, easily readable style, this information always being placed in its relevant clinical context. Advanced Nursing Skills: Principles and Practice is essential reading for all nurses wishing to expand their skills base. Although primarily aimed at post-registered nurses, nurses undergoing pre-registration nurse training will also find this book helpful as they themselves will be involved to a limited extent in the practices described.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521734516
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	01/01/2000
Pages:	136
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.39(d)

Table of Contents

1. Venepuncture; 2. Peripheral intravenous cannulation; 3. Intravenous drug administration; 4. Reading and interpreting the electrocardiogram; 5. Defibrillation; 6. Nutritional assessment and enteral tube feeding; 7. Suturing; 8. Male catheterization.

Editorial Reviews

This small, paperback book is a description of eight psychomotor nursing skills with some relevant background information. The purpose is to teach skills that are new to nursing practice, provide background rationale for the procedures, and to assist nurses in making professional judgments when performing these skills. These are worthwhile goals. Unfortunately, most of the skills are not considered advanced in the U.S. Suturing is the only skill that is never taught in basic nursing education. EKG interpretation and defibrillation may be considered more advanced skills, although theoretical information in these topics is usually included in most basic medical-surgical nursing courses. This book is geared to experienced nurses who will be assuming these responsibilities. While relevant basic physiology is presented, the editors of this book do not provide appropriate rationale for actions. The little information on clinical application provided appears too sketchy to be useful in making clinical judgments. There are several major problems with the text, such as the failure to delineate step-by-step directions. How someone would use this book to help them learn a new skill is therefore unclear. There is neither a comprehensive listing of necessary equipment, nor specific rationale for actions that are described. Problem solving for common difficulties, and critical thinking needed to perform the skill safely and effectively with patients of various ages or pathologies, are not mentioned. Finally, many of the references are quite old — one from 1976, and many from the 1980s. While this book may be useful in Britain, it will not be helpful to either experienced RNs orstudents in the U.S., as skills books, such as Smith and Duell's Clinical Nursing Skills: Basic To Advanced Skills, 4th Edition (Prentice Hall, 1996) are more effective presentations of all these skills (except suturing), and medical-surgical texts, such as Phipps' Medical-Surgical Nursing: Concepts and Clinical Practice, 6th Edition (Mosby, 1999) contain more comprehensive explanations of EKG interpretation.

Diane Aschenbrenner

Reviewer: Diane Aschenbrenner, MS, RN, CS (Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing)
Description: This small, paperback book is a description of eight psychomotor nursing skills with some relevant background information.
Purpose: The purpose is to teach skills that are new to nursing practice, provide background rationale for the procedures, and to assist nurses in making professional judgments when performing these skills. These are worthwhile goals. Unfortunately, most of the skills are not considered advanced in the U.S. Suturing is the only skill that is never taught in basic nursing education. EKG interpretation and defibrillation may be considered more advanced skills, although theoretical information in these topics is usually included in most basic medical-surgical nursing courses.
Audience: This book is geared to experienced nurses who will be assuming these responsibilities.
Features: While relevant basic physiology is presented, the editors of this book do not provide appropriate rationale for actions. The little information on clinical application provided appears too sketchy to be useful in making clinical judgments. There are several major problems with the text, such as the failure to delineate step-by-step directions. How someone would use this book to help them learn a new skill is therefore unclear. There is neither a comprehensive listing of necessary equipment, nor specific rationale for actions that are described. Problem solving for common difficulties, and critical thinking needed to perform the skill safely and effectively with patients of various ages or pathologies, are not mentioned. Finally, many of the references are quite old — one from 1976, and many from the 1980s.
Assessment: While this book may be useful in Britain, it will not be helpful to either experienced RNs or students in the U.S., as skills books, such as Smith and Duell's Clinical Nursing Skills: Basic To Advanced Skills, 4th Edition (Prentice Hall, 1996) are more effective presentations of all these skills (except suturing), and medical-surgical texts, such as Phipps' Medical-Surgical Nursing: Concepts and Clinical Practice, 6th Edition (Mosby, 1999) contain more comprehensive explanations of EKG interpretation.

Doody's Review Service