Authors

  1. Falter, Elizabeth (Betty) MS, RN, NEA-BC

Article Content

Strengths-Based Nursing Care: Health and Healing for Person and Family, Laurie N. Gottlieb in collaboration with Bruce Gottlieb, 2013, New York, Springer Publishing Company, Softcover, 448 pages, $65.

 

What first drew my attention to this book was the authors' use of 25 named front line nurses in conjunction with 21 nurse expert consultants. The authors argue that the current health care system has been and remains a deficit model. Strengths-based care is about wholeness. It is best described by the author herself:

 

"A focus on strengths is not about ignoring weaknesses or downplaying a person's vulnerabilities. Moreover, it is not about reframing problems and weaknesses in terms of strengths. It is not about whether the glass is half empty (i.e. weaknesses) or whether it is half full (i.e. strengths); instead it is about understanding the whole. It is about finding strengths and recognizing that strengths coexist with weaknesses; about striking the balance between the two; and about understanding how strengths and weaknesses interact to promote health, recovery and healing. A focus on strengths is about appreciating and discovering human strengths in the midst of problems and weaknesses and about how to work with strengths to mitigate vulnerability." (p120)

 

The book is organized in 3 parts with a total of 10 chapters. Each chapter starts with learning objectives. Included in a chapter are tables, exhibits, and at least 3 other display items: an empirical study, a personal experience, and a reflect and connect exercise.

 

Whether in Academia or Service sector or both, this view from our Canadian colleagues may help us think through our own approach to population-based care. Patricia Benner says it best in her Foreword:

 

"Dr. Laurie N. Gottlieb has written a landmark book that should be required reading for all undergraduate and graduate nursing students and essential reading for all those involved in trying to redesign health care systems, reduce health care costs, and improve the health of people in any society." (p xvii)

 

Mastering Precepting: A Nurse's Handbook for Success, Beth Ulrich, 2012, Indianapolis, Indiana, Sigma Theta Tau International, Softcover, 268 pages, $39.95, print copy or E-TEXT.

 

There is a reason this book was awarded the American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year, 2012. Quality theorists often point to handoffs as sources of errors or variation in process. Preceptors serve an incredibly important role, especially in "handing off" the student nurse to graduate nurse or transitioning expert nurses in one area to novice nurses in another. The author and her 16 contributing authors have compiled a handbook to guide the new preceptor while serving as a reference for even the experienced preceptor.

 

The book is organized around 13 chapters. There is a bonus Appendix for educators looking to develop a preceptor course, chapter by chapter. A preceptor is defined in terms of 7 roles: teacher/coach, leader/influencer, facilitator, evaluator, socialization agent, protector and role model. The book is nicely laid out, carefully addressing key issues around precepting. Ulrich herself tackled 2 of the most important and challenging skills to teach and develop: Critical Thinking, Clinical Judgment and Reasoning (Chapter 4). The book is evidence based, supported with theory, guided by professional values and principles (eg, American Nurses Association), and, most importantly, practical tools, which the preceptor can use right away. It appears the authors gave thought to how busy preceptors are and thus wanted the book to be user friendly.

 

Chief nursing officers, nurse educators, and preceptors would find this book most helpful reading before designing a preceptor program. For many, reading this book may encourage redesigning existing programs. Kathy Sanford said it best in her foreword:

 

Beth Ulrich and the contributing authors of this book clearly understand there is more to serving as a preceptor than a title or having enough experience in a job to orient a new team member to policies, procedures and the 'way we do things around here'. Their attention to this role indicates a deep respect for the skilled nurse preceptor, an appreciation for the responsibility and challenges involved in the work of precepting, and a recognition of the far-reaching influence preceptors have on nursing careers and patient care. (p xxii)

 

The Nurse Manager's Guide to Innovative Staffing, Jennifer Mensik, 2013, Indianapolis, Indiana, Sigma Theta Tau International, Softcover, 254 pages, $29.95, print copy or E-Text.

 

How many of us have observed our best clinicians' transition into a management role, only to find them spending too much of their time...staffing? How often have you seen your front line managers excuse themselves from a meeting because there was a "staffing issue" they had to tend to? Allocating critical resources, especially nurses, is one of the most challenging jobs for the nurse manager. What if there were a book to teach them practical ways to staff; how to calculate full-time equivalents, paid time off, and productive and nonproductive time; how to interpret and apply staffing plans, policies, and delivery models? This is that book.

 

Roxane Spitzer wrote one of the most sentinel books on staffing and productivity in 1986 (Nursing Productivity: The Hospitals Key to Survival and Profit-S-N Publications, Chicago, Illinois). This was preceded by Lewis and Carini's Nurse Staffing and Patient Classification, 1984, Aspen). Since then, staffing and productivity have tended to be rolled into much large books on Finance and Budgeting. Interestingly, Mensik's new book takes a similar approach in size, focus, and readability. Mensik has brought the subject up to date in the current complex health environment where the nurse manager has so much more on her plate than staffing. Yes, correct staffing is critical. Let's give them the right tools to allow greater efficiency, while containing costs and sustaining patient satisfaction and quality. Most organizations need today's nurse manager to be more productive. Their skills are essential to the major redesign of the health care delivery system. The timing of this new book is right on.

 

Like Spitzer, Mensik wrote the full book herself but was sure to intersperse vignettes and projects from 26 contributors practicing in the field. The book is organized around 9 chapters logically ordered, easily accessible, evidenced based, and yet comprehensive in addressing complex issues in innovative staffing. The author even provides a sample acuity tool. At the end of each chapter, the author summarizes key points in easily understood and practical bullets.

 

Having taught in multiple nurse manager programs across the country, I found my job much easier when a certain national staffing expert preceded me in the faculty line up. Once the participants could address their staffing issues, then they could be open to learning other competencies. That certain person was Carol Cavourcas. This is what Carol said about Mensik's book:

 

"This book is an awesome comprehensive guide that explains the complexity of effective staffing in a practical and easily applied manner.... This book is a must for all new managers as well as experienced managers of this decade who are accountable for the resources of their units and organizations." (Inside second page under Praises)

 

This book is of right size, written in the right style, about the right issues around innovative staffing for today's nurse managers. Chief nursing officers and educators: test it in a focus group of managers. It will be time well spent.