Reviewer: Carl Balcom, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE (HCA Healthcare)
Description: This book provides in-depth coverage of management and leadership in nursing. It presents leadership and management as two distinct but interrelated areas equally necessary for successful practice. The website material includes resources for both students and instructors. The student resources section provides easy access to the literature cited within the text, and the ability to download and/or print the glossary facilitates learning of key terms and concepts. The instructor resources section is comprehensive and includes a wide variety of material to enhance student learning, including testing materials, presentations, and problem-based learning exercises. These resources will save instructors considerable time since they will not have to create their own materials to supplement the textbook.
Purpose: The purpose of the book is to provide a solid foundation in nurse leadership and management skills for nurses and nurse leaders. The book is intended to support the development of critical thinking skills and knowledge translation using an experiential approach, since the intended audience will likely not have the management experience or practicum opportunities to leverage. Health care is one of the most complex systems in our society. Ensuring its effectiveness requires strong leaders who possess the required knowledge and skills to drive healthcare services in an appropriate manner and meet the needs of our communities. The supplementary material available on the website adds value for both students and instructors. The student resources section provides easy access to supplementary material to enhance learning (e.g., full-text journal articles) and the instructor resources section provides a myriad of tools to supplement the material in the book (e.g., PowerPoint presentations and case exercises/problem-based learning). The book and its supplementary website resources meet the objectives set forth.
Audience: This book is intended for new nurse leaders and/or nurses taking post-basic nursing leadership courses (e.g., MSN level). According to the author, this book is written for those seeking to develop into "skillful, powerful, visionary leaders and managers." The book provides an excellent introduction to nursing leadership and management that can be used by nurses in all stages of practice to acquire knowledge and competence in this area. While the title and stated audience target nurses and nurse leaders, the book will also be beneficial to non-nursing professionals and emerging leaders. Even for nurses (or other healthcare professionals) not seeking formal management positions/career pathways, the subjects reviewed in the book are beneficial to learn and incorporate into practice. The book meets the needs of the intended audience. The author holds the educational preparation, credentials, and professional experience to provide the requisite subject matter expertise. She has extensive experience teaching leadership and management. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL), and American Nurses Association (ANA) further support the legitimacy of the book and its contents.
Features: The title includes the terms "leadership" and "management," and the book clearly explains how they are related and both equally important to successful practice. The book is divided into three sections that focus on foundational knowledge and skills in leadership and management, the legal/regulatory aspects of healthcare leadership, and the application of the management process. The chapters within each section are well named and clearly reflect the material. Several features like images, tables, and diagrams supplement the information presented. Moreover, each chapter begins with a crosswalk to the AACN, AONL, and ANA core competencies and standards, and finishes with a summary of key concepts and a series of learning activities. The chapters also contain a summary of the management functions/tasks and leadership functions to clearly outline behavioral indicators of success. The title is clear, succinct, and appropriately represents the subject matter.
Assessment: This book is exceptionally well-designed and well-written, and serves as an excellent resource for a wide variety of audiences. Though primarily intended for nurses and nurse leaders, the material is applicable and transferable to other disciplines even to non-clinical leaders. There are a wide variety of textbooks on nursing leadership/management available. This book stands out because of the comprehensiveness of the information covered as well as the clear and succinct manner in which the material is presented. While this edition maintains the critical thinking and problem-based approach of the previous editions, it has been updated with contemporary examples and meaningful changes to the healthcare landscape. In particular, the case examples used throughout the book are current and facilitate understanding of the concepts discussed and support readers in relating to the subject matter. In particular, this edition contains references to the COVID-19 pandemic which has completely changed the healthcare landscape and this relevancy further enhances the quality of the text. This edition is connected to the most recent AACN, AONL, and ANA competencies and standards, which further supports the applicability and transferability of the material.