No Time to Teach: The Essence of Patient and Family Education for Health Care Providers
Fran London. Pritchett & Hull: Atlanta, GA. 2009. 209 pages, Paperback. US $12.95. ISBN: 978-1-933638-49-2
* Reviewed by:
Judy McDaniel, MSN, RN
Program Manager
Education Institute
Adventist HealthCare
Rockville, Maryland
No Time to Teach is great for the bedside nurse who also has no time to read. Fran London's book has many key short-to-the-point tips regarding patient education. Tips on teaching the individual, the family, and group in addition to how-tos for assessing patients' educational needs and teachable moments are included in the book.
Most sections have "a quote to ponder," which allows for some reflective moments. The quote to ponder relates to the section and, without using many words, has a lot to say. Even the experienced nurse educator can gain insight from these quotes.
Most useful are the "How to[horizontal ellipsis]" and the "Evidence to Practice" sections. Each of these sections provides precise information on that particular chapter. "How to Teach From the Internet" to "How to Teach A Group" focus on the key points in a short and concise manner without the additional detail found in many references on patient education. If the nurse wants to find the in-depth rationale behind what method was used, there are many references in the "If You Want to Learn More" chapter that can be reviewed when time permits.
"Evidence to Practice" provides a published research abstract related to the chapter. This is beneficial especially for the skeptic who might question the validity or usefulness of the suggestion. The chapter on "Teachable Moments" shows first the key points in identifying teachable moments. Next, the evidence to practice relates the success of a teachable moment. These examples provide support for implementation of best practices in teaching.
No Time to Teach is in no way a comprehensive reference for patient education, nor does it intend to be. It is for the bedside nurse who wants to meet the patient's needs for information in a timely manner. The novice nurse will benefit from this book in expanding how and what to teach patients in a busy hospital environment while providing the nurse with key points to determine when and where to teach. This book could be considered the 1-minute manager to patient education.
The book's format was confusing at first. The chapters are very short, sometimes with only one page, which made it troublesome to get into the flow of the book. It took almost half the book to understand and appreciate the layout. Once understood, the format proved useful for looking at specific topics. In the end, the way the book reads actually works very well for the busy bedside nurse.
Putting Evidence Into Practice: Improving Oncology Patient Outcomes
Linda H. Eaton and Janelle M. Tipton (Eds.). Oncology Nursing Society (ONS): Pittsburgh, PA. Copyright 2009. 311 pages, Soft cover. Price: $50.00 ONS members; $70.00 nonmembers. ISBN: 978-1-890504-84-7
* Reviewed by:
Pamela D. Sims, MSN, RN
Nurse Educator/Staff Development, VA
Healthcare System, Miami, Florida
This book was written for the bedside nurse as well as the nurse educator and practitioner who deal with oncology patients, their symptoms, and their need for physical as well as emotional comfort. The book was easy to follow and organized in a manner that describes basic symptom relief and addresses a multitude of possible oncology emergencies.
In the summary, the author states that the purpose of the text was that "nurses need to be able to articulate the evidence base for oncology nursing practice to patients, families, and nursing and other professional colleagues" (p. 7). This purpose should be recognized as the groundwork for sharing more information with healthcare professionals as well as the patients for whom we care.
The most informative sections for nurse educators were those with in-depth descriptions of many symptoms experienced by oncology patients using case studies; the tables related to suggested methods of relieving the symptoms presented. The tables allow the reader to understand why specific treatment modalities were being suggested.
The references included with each chapter that related to an oncology symptom and treatment modality were also useful; often, the healthcare provider will need additional information to better understand the causes and physiology behind a presenting symptom.
This book is as an easy reference to enhance nursing practice and to use evidence-based practice for present care as well as planning for care into the future. I recommend this text to the novice as well as to the expert practitioner who works with oncology patients and to the educators who teach them.