Abstract

The most valuable texts of 2000, as chosen by AJN's panel of judges.

 

Article Content

ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSING

Chosen by Jamesetta A. Newland, MS, RN, CS, FNP, acting associate director, University Health Care Unit, Pace University, Lienhard School of Nursing, New York, NY

 

1. Primary Care Across the Lifespan

 

By Denise Robinson, Pamela Kidd, and Karen Mangus Rogers. St. Louis, Mosby.

 

FIGURE 1 This is a comprehensive, practical guide to the treatment of common conditions, presented in the SOAPE format.

  
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* Looks at the treatment of common conditions throughout the lifespan

 

* Provides many easy-to-read tables and algorithms

 

* Includes ICD-9-CM codes

 

2. Advanced Practice Nursing: Changing Roles and Clinical Applications

 

By Joanne V. Hickey, Ruth M. Ouimette, and Sandra L. Venegoni. 2nd Edition. Philadelphia, Lippincott.

 

Discusses how advanced practice nursing came to be and in what direction it needs to go.

 

* Has a diverse selection of contributors

 

* Critical thinking is explored using case presentations

 

* Presents key issues, trends, and projections regarding the practice-education-research triad

 

3. Holistic Nursing: A Handbook for Practice

 

By Barbara Montgomery Dossey, Lynn Keegan, and Cathie E. Guzzetta. 3rd Edition. Gaithersburg, MD, Aspen Publishers.

 

Has something for nurses in any setting, from theory and research to clinical practice.

 

* Employs the standards of holistic nursing practice defined by the American Holistic Nurses Association

 

* Defines terms at the beginning of each chapter

 

* Affirms the reader by addressing her as "nurse healer" throughout

 

COMMUNITY & PUBLIC HEALTH

Chosen by Pamela V. Hammond, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean, and Barbara S. Harrison, EdD, MS, RNC, associate professor, Hampton University School of Nursing, Hampton, VA

 

1. Community & Public Health Nursing

 

By Marcia Stanhope and Jeanette Lancaster. 5th Edition. St. Louis, Mosby.

 

FIGURE 2 Examines issues and strategies relevant to today's health care system.

  
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* Research briefs are dotted throughout

 

* Lists excellent Web links

 

* Provides an instructor's kit and a test blank

 

2. Community as Partner: Theory and Practice in Nursing

 

By Elizabeth T. Anderson and Judith McFarlane. 3rd Edition. Philadelphia, Lippincott.

 

Excellent reference for nurses contemplating working in and with communities.

 

* References an impressively diverse array of communities

 

* Includes a "Model to Guide Practice," based on the authors' own practice model

 

* Incorporates a unique "Take Note" feature into the text, highlighting and expanding on major points

 

3. Health and Health Care 2010: The Forecast, the Challenge

 

By the Institute for the Future. San Francisco, CA, Jossey-Bass Publishers.

 

Superb analyses for policymakers and health care providers forecasting trends in health insurance, technology, and the workforce.

 

* Provides easy to understand charts, graphs, and tables

 

* Its sidebars add depth to the chapters

 

* Includes a chart, "Health and Health Care through 2010" at the back

 

CONSUMER HEALTH

Chosen by Rev. Carmen Germaine Warner, MSN, M-Div, RN, FAAN, international publishing consultant, president and founder of Welcome Home Ministries, San Diego, CA

 

1. But This Is My Mother! The Plight of Our Elders in American Nursing Homes

 

By Cynthia Loucks. Acton, MA, Vander Wyk & Burnham.

 

FIGURE 3 This is a moving portrayal of the frustrations encountered in nursing homes.

  
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* Connects broad economic and political issues to life experiences

 

* Recounts pain and trauma affecting families

 

* Offers viable alternatives

 

2. Making a Killing: HMOs and the Threat to Your Health

 

By Jamie Court and Francis Smith. Monroe, ME, Common Courage Press.

 

Clarifies the relationship of HMOs to health and profitability.

 

* Sheds light on for-profit health care industries

 

* Provides concrete information on HMOs

 

* Includes helpful tips and "to dos"

 

3. Healing Practices: Alternative Therapies for Nursing

 

By Karen Lee Fontaine. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall.

 

Geared toward the frustrated consumer looking for affordable, practical, and effective alternatives to the bottleneck of health care systems.

 

* It's an excellent resource for nurses and the lay public

 

* Explores new, effective ways to deliver health care

 

* Provides factual information on treatment modalities and gives clear examples of implementation

 

CRITICAL CARE & EMERGENCY NURSING

Chosen by Patricia Gonce Morton, PhD, ACNP, FAAN, professor, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD

 

1. Cardiac Nursing

 

Edited by Susan L. Woods, Erika S. Sivarajan Froelicher, and Sandra Adams (Underhill) Motzer. 4th Edition. Philadelphia, Lippincott.

 

FIGURE 4 This is a classic text for those in the field of cardiovascular nursing.

  
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* Covers topics at a level appropriate to its target audience

 

* Includes research data and established practice guidelines

 

* Gives extensive reference lists

 

2. Cardiothoracic Surgical Nursing

 

By Betsy A. Finkelmeier. 2nd Edition. Philadelphia, Lippincott.

 

This volume addresses aspects of nursing care of the cardiothoracic patient.

 

* Is well-organized

 

* Addresses preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative nursing care

 

* Has excellent illustrations and extensive reference lists

 

3. Pass CCRN!

 

By Robin Donohoe Dennison. 2nd Edition. St. Louis, Mosby.

 

Excellent resource for critical care nurses, not just those preparing for the certification examination.

 

* Provides detailed outlines of essential information

 

* Key information is synthesized in tables, charts, illustrations

 

* There are suggested learning activities with answers included

 

ELECTRONIC MEDIA

Chosen by Judith K. Leavitt, MEd, RN, FAAN, associate professor, and Joanne Coleman, RN, MSN, staff development coordinator, both at the School of Nursing, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS

 

1. Pain Management: Assessment and Overview of Analgesics

 

By Margo McCaffery and Chris Pasero. Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

 

FIGURE 5 Two of the foremost experts on pain management make the topic of opioid use accessible and rewarding.

  
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* Provides video case studies based on clinical practice guidelines

 

* Offers CE credits through the Iowa Board of Nursing

 

* Displays user-friendly print, and Web resources that are always on-screen

 

2. Real World Community Health Nursing: An Interactive CD-ROM

 

By Patty J. Hale. St. Louis, Mosby.

 

Comprehensive guide to a wide variety of community and public health issues.

 

* Uses a realistic approach to health care

 

* Encourages (and explores) use of the Internet

 

* Provides 13 commonly used tools and inventories that can be downloaded

 

3. Physical Assessment Findings CD-ROM (Instructor's Manual)

 

By Freda O'Bannon Lemmi. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders Company.

 

CD-ROM provides slides, drawings, and photographs of over 900 images of normal and abnormal findings from physical assessments.

 

* Provides well-labeled visual aids

 

* Covers a wide variety of conditions

 

* Can be used in a wide range of learning situations

 

GERONTOLOGIC NURSING

Chosen by Elaine J. Amella, PhD, RN, CS, GNP, assistant professor, College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

 

1. Primary Care of the Older Adult: A Multidisciplinary Approach

 

By Mary M. Burke and Joy A. Laramie. St. Louis, Mosby.

 

FIGURE 6 Covers major issues of care to older adults in the community.

  
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* Much information is provided in tables, algorithms, and illustrations

 

* Covers conditions common in older people and provides additional topics for consideration

 

* Gives information on topics not often discussed, such as driving, alcohol abuse, and musculoskeletal issues

 

2. Geriatric Mental Health Care: A Treatment Guide for Health Professionals

 

By Gary J. Kennedy. New York, NY, Guilford Press.

 

Presents not only medical problems but attendant (and often neglected) issues of daily and general care of persons with mental health problems.

 

* Makes assessment, treatment, and referral understandable

 

* Clear tables and appendices add depth

 

* Discusses major psychotropic medications as well as behavioral interventions

 

3. Geriatric Dosage Handbook

 

By Todd P. Semla, Judith L. Beizer, and Martin D. Higbee. Hudson, OH, Lexi-Comp.

 

The most inclusive pocket guide to medications for older adults; it provides dosing information, nursing instructions, and special considerations.

 

* Drugs are listed in alphabetical order

 

* Provides excellent charts

 

* Discusses issues such as crushing medications, the use of psychotropic drugs, and federal guidelines

 

HEALTH POLICY

Chosen by Mary W. Chaffee, MS, CNA, CCRN, senior health program analyst, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, TRICARE Management Activity, Falls Church, VA

 

1. Betrayal of Trust: The Collapse of Global Public Health

 

By Laurie Garrett. New York, NY, Hyperion.

 

FIGURE 7 Illuminates global health policy and delivery issues and significant implications for U.S. nursing practice.

  
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* Gives a provocative global view of health issues

 

* It's a joy to read

 

* Provides references and notes from five years of research

 

2. To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System

 

Edited by Linda T. Kohn, Janet M. Corrigan, and Molla S. Donaldson. Washington, DC, National Academy Press.

 

Examines the impacts of legislation, regulation, economics, and leadership on health care.

 

* Identifies critical elements in preventing health care errors

 

* Describes a comprehensive approach to patient safety

 

* Makes this approach applicable to health care organizations

 

3. Health Care in the New Millennium: Vision, Values, and Leadership

 

By Ian Morrison. San Francisco, CA, Jossey-Bass Publishers.

 

Morrison explores the challenges facing the U.S. health care system with wit, scholarly writing, and a broad perspective.

 

* Makes normally dull topics exciting (see the chapter, "We've Seen the Enemy and It's Helen Hunt")

 

* Gives concise descriptions of current health policy issues

 

* Offers insightful solutions to chronic problems hindering the delivery of health services

 

MATERNAL-CHILD NURSING

Chosen by Karren Kowalski, PhD, RN, FAAN, president, Kowalski & Associates, Castle Rock, CO

 

1. Wong and Whaley's Clinical Manual of Pediatric Nursing

 

By Donna L. Wong and Caryn Stoermer Hess. 5th Edition. St. Louis, Mosby.

 

FIGURE 8 Includes nursing care plans and nationally recognized assessment tools related to specific diseases in children.

  
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* Emphasizes community and home care instruction

 

* Identifies verbal and nonverbal pain-rating scales in 10 languages

 

* Provides extensive diagrams and explicit directions

 

2. Maternity & Women's Health Care

 

By Deitra Leonard Lowdermilk, Shannon E. Perry, and Irene M. Bobak. 7th Edition. St. Louis, Mosby.

 

Offers valuable additions on alternative and complimentary therapies and a special chapter on the transition to parenthood.

 

* Each chapter has learning objectives, review, and critical thinking

 

* Provides CD-ROMs for instructors and students

 

* Lists links to the Internet for access to topics related to the text

 

3. Childbirth Education: Practice, Research and Theory

 

By Francine H. Nichols and Sharron Smith Humenick. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders Company.

 

Pushes for research-based practice in prepared childbirth.

 

* Reviews literature, implications for practice, teaching strategies, and research

 

* Topics in classroom section range from teaching and learning to working with pregnant teens

 

* Discusses conflict negotiation; should be helpful for parents, birthing facilities, and providers

 

MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING

Chosen by Patricia S. Collins, MSN, RN, CCNS, medical-surgical clinical nurse specialist at St. Vincent Hospital, Santa Fe, NM

 

1. Hospice Concepts: A Guide to Palliative Care in Terminal Illness

 

By Shirley Ann Smith. Champaign, IL, Research Press.

 

FIGURE 9 Discusses spiritual, emotional, and practical issues useful for nurses at all levels of experience.

  
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* Is a well-organized, well-referenced volume

 

* Provides information on the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of death

 

* Addresses specific symptoms and the prescriptive and nonprescriptive comfort measures that can be used

 

2. Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing

 

By Suzanne C. Smeltzer and Brenda G. Bare. 9th Edition. Philadelphia, Lippincott.

 

Nursing outcomes and classification of interventions place this classic at the forefront of nursing.

 

* Provides color photographs, color-highlighted text, charts, maps, and tables

 

* Helps students and nurses to prepare patients and families for the next step

 

* Enables student or staff nurses to do more than generic discharge teaching

 

3. Cultural Diversity in Health & Illness

 

By Rachel E. Spector. 5th Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice-Hall.

 

Current accreditation requirements mandate "cultural competence"; this book serves as an excellent resource toward a basic understanding.

 

* Provides reader-friendly charts and graphs

 

* Gives the reader an understanding of various ethnic and religious backgrounds

 

* Has chapters on how race and ethnicity affect health and illness

 

NURSING EDUCATION & CONTINUING EDUCATION

Chosen by Janet Mackin, EdD, RN, dean, Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing and executive director, Training and Organizational Development, Continuum Services, New York, NY

 

1. Distance Education in Nursing

 

Edited by Jeanne Novotny. New York, NY, Springer Series on the Teaching of Nursing.

 

FIGURE 10 Provides the educator interested in distance education with realistic advice on the field.

  
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* The topic is timely

 

* Includes a comprehensive overview

 

* The information is accessible

 

2. A Nuts-and-Bolts Approach to Teaching Nursing

 

By Victoria Schoolcraft and Jeanne Novotny. 2nd Edition. New York, NY, Springer Publishing Company.

 

This is a comprehensive text on nursing education from a master educator.

 

* Will be of use in traditional settings and with media-supported educational activities

 

* The author's voice is strong and clear

 

* Topics were selected on the basis of the needs of new faculty

 

3. Internet Resources for Nurses

 

Edited by Joyce J. Fitzpatrick and Kristen S. Montgomery. New York, NY, Springer Publishing Company.

 

Reviews the most useful Web sites for health care providers.

 

* Gives the "top 10" sites related to each topic

 

* Reviews of sites are brief and forthright

 

* Provides the "need to knows" about each site in a short-hand format

 

NURSING MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP

Chosen by Pamela J. Haylock, MA, RN, oncology consultant, Medina, TX

 

1. Professional Practice of Nursing Administration

 

Edited by Lillian M. Simms, Sylvia A. Price, and Naomi E. Ervin. 3rd Edition. Albany, NY, Delmar.

 

FIGURE 11 Leadership and management topics provide a stimulating blend of theory and practice.

  
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* Addresses such unique topics as humor in administration and marketing nursing

 

* Is readable and continually interesting

 

* Provides excellent appendices

 

2. Leadership and Nursing Care Management

 

By Diane Huber. 2nd Edition. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders Company.

 

Appealing text differentiates and links nursing leadership and nursing management.

 

* Gives reliable references

 

* Provides scenarios and vignettes contributed by nurse leaders and managers from leading health care organizations

 

* Uses critical thinking exercises and study questions

 

3. Nurses in the Political Arena: The Public Face of Nursing

 

By Harriet R. Feldman and Sandra B. Lewenson. New York, NY, Springer Publishing Company.

 

This inspiring book puts faces with the names of nurses who contribute to public policy.

 

* Personal stories are engaging

 

* Shows experiences, opinions, and ideas as springboards to action

 

* Gives historical perspectives with overviews of current social issues nurses should be involved in

 

NURSING RESEARCH

Chosen by Judith A. DePalma, PhD, RN, senior research associate, Oncology Nursing Society, Pittsburgh, PA

 

1. Geriatric Nursing Research Digest

 

Edited by Joyce J. Fitzpatrick and Terry Fulmer. New York, NY, Springer Publishing Company.

 

FIGURE 12 Promotes evidence-based geriatric practice and suggests goals for future research.

  
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* Provides a wealth of information

 

* Sections are succinctly written by credible authors in the field

 

* Includes infrequently discussed topics pertinent to nursing practice and research

 

2. Research Strategies for Advanced Practice Nurses

 

By Susan L. Norwood. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall Health.

 

Presents a definite perspective on APN practice and a validation of its role in nursing.

 

* Remains true to its goal of applying research to advanced practice

 

* Provides writing guides and examples

 

* Suggests practical tools to encourage application of the book's content

 

3. Annual Review of Nursing Research

 

Edited by Joyce J. Fitzpatrick and Jean Goeppinger. New York, NY, Springer Publishing Company.

 

Reflects an interdisciplinary approach to chronic illness.

 

* Looks at living with chronic illness from the patient's perspective

 

* Addresses diverse populations and settings

 

* Concentrates on breakthroughs and their pathfinders

 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Chosen by Karen Utterback, MSN, RN, CHCE, vice president-operations, South Mississippi Home Health, Inc., Hattiesburg, MS

 

1. Legal and Ethical Issues in Nursing

 

By Ginny Wacker Guido. 3rd Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall.

 

FIGURE 13 Presents complex issues of legality and ethics in an engaging format.

  
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* Content is relevant

 

* New additions are timely and needed

 

* Exercises and applications are helpful

 

2. From Silence to Voice: What Nurses Know and Must Communicate to the Public

 

By Bernice Buresh and Suzanne Gordon. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Canadian Nurses Association.

 

Communicates the importance of nursing to the public.

 

* Content is presented frankly

 

* Perspective is refreshing

 

* Applications are practical

 

3. Integrating Complementary Health Procedures into Practice

 

By Carolyn Chambers Clark. New York, NY, Springer Publishing Company.

 

Integrates complementary health practices into treatment of illness and the management of health.

 

* It's an invaluable resource

 

* It's timely

 

* It's user-friendly

 

PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING

Chosen by Rothlyn P. Zahourek, RN, CS, HNC, in private psychology practice, Amherst, MA; doctoral candidate, Division of Nursing, New York University, New York, NY

 

1. Violence Through a Forensic Lens

 

By Ann Wolbert Burgess. King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, Nursing Spectrum.

 

FIGURE 14 Presents an important subject nurses should know about.

  
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* It's well researched and comprehensive

 

* Presents real cases

 

* Discusses intervention strategies

 

2. Psychiatric Nursing Clinical Guide: Assessment Tools and Diagnosis

 

Elizabeth M. Varcarolis. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders Company.

 

It's handy, pocket sized, and covers a great deal of information.

 

* Provides tools for communicating and counseling

 

* Will be a useful reference for nurses at all levels of psychiatric nursing

 

* Suggests guidelines for conducting clinical interviews

 

3. Quick Reference for Psychopharmacology

 

By Elizabeth A. Rankin. Albany, NY, Delmar.

 

An easy-to-use reference with a Web site for information updates.

 

* It's brief yet comprehensive

 

* Lists medications in an excellent color insert

 

* Includes interactions among medications, herbs, and supplements

 

PUBLIC INTEREST

Chosen by Margret S. Wolf, EdD, RN, associate professor of nursing, Division of Nursing, New York University, New York, NY

 

1. Florence Nightingale: Mystic, Visionary, Healer

 

By Barbara Montgomery Dossey. Springhouse, PA, Springhouse Corporation.

 

FIGURE 15 A well-written tribute to a complex and brilliant woman.

  
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* Has beautiful illustrations

 

* Is thoroughly researched

 

* Provides extensive references, photographs, and letter and diary excerpts

 

2. A History of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps

 

By Mary T. Sarnecky. Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press.

 

Here is an extraordinary description of the development of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps.

 

* Is thoroughly researched and fascinating

 

* Gives personal accounts

 

* Captures the evolving role of women in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps

 

3. But This Is My Mother! The Plight of Our Elders in American Nursing Homes

 

By Cynthia Loucks. Acton, MA, Vander Wyk & Burnham.

 

Describes the indignities suffered by the author's mother in a nursing home.

 

* Discusses issues relevant to nursing home care

 

* Suggests strategies

 

* Gives criteria for selecting a home