Field Guide to Urgent and Ambulatory Care Procedures

By David M. James. 351 pages. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2001. $29.95. ISBN: 0-7817-2823-1.

The Field Guide to Urgent and Ambulatory Care Procedures is a pocket-sized quick-reference book that contains "recipes" for many common procedures encountered in the urgent or emergent care setting. The book contains many "tricks of the trade" that have worked well for the authors throughout the years. It is designed to provide a compact rapid simple reference for use in the clinical setting. It is aimed at physicians at any level of training, as well as mid-level providers

The text is organized by systems and covers a variety of procedures. It is broad in scope, ranging from basic everyday nursing procedures, such as Foley catheter insertion to advanced techniques such as nerve blocks. Conscious sedation, a current hot topic, is included. Other chapters include musculoskeletal procedures, such as managing dislocations, sprains, and simple fractures. Emergency procedures such as defibrillation, intubation, and cricothyroidotomy are included. Other chapters focus on gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and dermatologic procedures.

Each chapter begins with a general description of the procedure. Suggested equipment is listed, the clinical technique is described, and many practical tips are provided. Numerous illustrations are included. The text is well organized, clearly written, and easy to read. It will make a great resource for nurse practitioners in the emergency department, urgent care, or employee health setting, as well as nurse practitioner students. Although acute care nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists may find specialty reference books more useful to their practice, The Field Guide to Urgent and Ambulatory Care Procedures is a useful addition to the library or laboratory coat pocket of practitioners in the urgent and emergency care settings.