INPATIENT PSYCHIATRIC NURSING: CLINICAL STRATEGIES & PRACTICAL INTERVENTIONS

Damron L, Matthew JM, Sheehan JL, Uebelacker LA, eds. New York: Springer Publishing Company; 2012. ISBN 978-0-8261-0971-2, softcover, 400 pages, $45.00.

Inpatient Psychiatric Nursing represents a collaborative endeavor among a group of nurses at Butler Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. Rather than focusing on psychiatric diagnoses, the chapter authors focus on patient behaviors. Many of these behaviors, which include anger, anxiety, pain, and substance abuse disorders, are also found in the intensive care unit setting.

Part I of the book addresses management of specific behaviors; part II, specific types of interventions; and part III addresses nursing self-management. Each chapter in part I includes a table that identifies assessment, goals, and interventions, which could be integrated into a comprehensive patient plan of care. Part II, which focuses on specific types of interventions, includes family interventions. Although geared to the psychiatric inpatient, this chapter is also applicable to many critical care family interactions. Within this chapter are topics such as the use of good communication skills, dealing with anger, dealing with disruptive families, and providing family member with information tailored to what they need.

The book also discusses background and describes the context of the patient who is suicidal. The goals discussed correlate with the 2012 National Patient Safety Goals to assess if the patient is at risk for imminent suicide or self-harm. The detailed interventions provided are very constructive when establishing a plan of care for the suicidal patient.

This clinical reference provides helpful information to nurses who deal with mental health issues across settings. The clear writing style and clinical focus on patient behaviors rather than mental health diagnoses provide knowledge and direction for practicing clinicians.

FAMILY VIOLENCE AND NURSING PRACTICE: A COMPREHENSIVE DISCUSSION OF FAMILY VIOLENCE AND NURSING PRACTICE

Humphreys J, Campbell JC, eds. New York: Springer Publishing Company; 2011. ISBN 978-0-8261-1878-8, $65.00.

The text Family Violence and Nursing Practice is both comprehensive in scope and engaging to the reader. The book has extensive theoretical background in the beginning chapters to offer explanations for the development of violence in families, which is crucial to understanding the interventions by nursing personnel. The in-depth descriptions give the reader the tools to understand the myriad forces that impact a family dealing with violence.

Throughout the book are areas that are designed to highlight nursing interventions related to violence within specific cohorts or special groups. The groups include intimate partners, pregnant partners, immigrants, rural women, teens, and elders. A latter chapter outlines international issues related to violence in families and legal and forensic issues.

Ideally, this text is designed to be used in a school setting, although the extensive research and citations make it useful for those who have an interest in the topic and need detailed descriptions for a deeper understanding. It is also possible that out colleagues in social work or counseling would find this book a useful resource. The book clearly demonstrated the complexity of violence and abuse and offers bedside nurses interventions and a thorough understanding of the concept.

FAST FACTS FOR WOUND CARE NURSING: PRACTICAL WOUND MANAGEMENT IN A NUTSHELL

New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company; 2012. Kifer ZA, ISBN 0-8261-0775-3, $25.00.

Zelia Ann Kifer is a wound care specialist from Oklahoma who has worked in a variety of settings caring for patients with wounds. She has been an intensive care unit nurse, an outpatient burn center nurse, and an Advanced Wound and Skin Care Specialist (AWSCS) for a wound care supply distributor. She has worked with hospital systems, long-term acute care settings, and nursing homes to establish protocols for wound care. She has volunteered with medical missions to provide burn care in Honduras. She has written a compact, user-friendly guide to wound care. This guide book covers a large amount of information in a fast-paced format. She discusses assessment, treatment, and prevention of simple, and complex wounds. There is information on new healing adjunctive therapies, wound care algorithms, debridement techniques, selection of surfaces, and selection of dressings for all types of wounds. She includes recommendations for becoming a wound care specialist, accrediting your facility in wound care, and for medical coding and billing. This comprehensive guide also contains an appendix complete with photographs of wounds. This work demonstrates her extensive experience and her passion for the role of the wound care nurse.