Nurses With Disabilities: Professional Issues and Job Retention
L. Neal-Boylan, New York: Springer Publishing Company, 2013, softbound, ISBN 978-082610107, 208 pages, $45.00.
Submitted by:
Janice Pastuszak, MS, ACNS-BC, FNP-BC
Adjunct faculty
Elms College Chicopee, Massachusetts
The author used her expertise including 30 years in clinical practice and 15 years in education to write eight chapters covering various aspects of working nurses who are disabled. This work has been driven by the lack of information about this population of nurses. The book's intention is to identify who are the nurses who are disabled, how they are adapting to their care settings, what they have needed to do to continue to work, what is considered a disability, who and why are the disabled accommodated, is it cost-effective and safe to hire or retain the nurse who is disabled, and how does retaining the nurse who is disabled apply to the practice of nursing. The book is fact-driven and told through the statements of nurses who are disabled. It is candid and, at times, shocking.
The book chapters are set up in a clear, progressive manner. The case reports of nurses were combined to support the well-known adage that "nurses eat their young." In this case, the nurse might not have been young, but co-workers or managers did not always embrace the years of experience and clinical knowledge of nurses when the signs of limiting physical ability became apparent. The author used both quantitative and qualitative research to support her argument that this population has been invisible in the healthcare industry. There are references and citations from the current governmental and statistical sources indicating the profile of disability in the nursing profession.
This is a seminal work with limited prior research about the nurse who is disabled and the barriers to clinical practice in the nurse's employment setting. Nurses who are disabled benefit from higher education that allows them to explore options within the healthcare industry that could use their experiences and intuitive reasoning.
The writing style throughout the book is logical, convincing, and supportive that the disabled nurse is not always recognized nor does the nurse who is disabled want to self-report in fear of losing his or her job and livelihood.
After reading this book, the concept of the nurse who is disabled and the consequences of disability upon the individual, clinical setting, and healthcare industry are very clear. The book is a must-read for educators, managers, and the aging nurse.
Disclaimer: The author has disclosed that he has no significant relationships with, or financial interest in, any commercial companies pertaining to this review.
Management and Leadership in Nursing and Healthcare: An Experiential Approach (Third Edition)
E. L. M. Rigolosi, (New York: Springer Publishing Company, 2013, paperback, ISBN: 978-0-8261-0839-5, 422 pages, US $70.00).
Reviewed by:
Maryann Windey, PhD, RN-BC
Intern Development Specialist
Lee Memorial Health System
Cape Coral, Florida
Rigolosi provides a theoretical and philosophical view of nursing leadership and management along with experiential activities to help the reader learn and apply theory in a safe environment. Dr. Rigolosi believes that nurses must see themselves in the role of leader and manager and that they must gain knowledge in theory to assist in decision making. The book is primarily theoretical and is intended for both undergraduate and graduate nursing students. The author's philosophy is that leaders must learn theory to make sound decisions: "Application of theory comes first and intuition second" (p. xxi). Although the author presents nursing and leadership theories, she also focuses on management practices, organizational development, healthcare legalities, and ethical concerns.
The book is organized into five main parts: management and leadership science and philosophy, managerial responsibilities, managerial skills, managerial roles, and the managerial mind. There are themes throughout the book such as the managerial method: assess the problem, identify the problem or goal, analyze the problem, choose a leadership style, determine alternative solutions, implement solutions, and evaluate results. Content in each part of the book can be applied to real-world problems through the managerial method. The author uses dozens of figures and tables to illustrate key points that help the reader understand the relationships between concepts. Dr. Rigolosi's writing style is formal; however, at times, the author addresses the reader directly. The author refers to her earlier publications often, which can leave the reader feeling a little disconnected at times, especially if one is not familiar with Dr. Rigolosi's past works.
Some chapters of the book are stronger and more applicable to the nursing professional development specialist's responsibilities than others. For instance, the chapters on time management, communication, and conflict management present excellent information and techniques, whereas the chapter on manager as a teacher was more theoretical. One of the publicized key features of this book and an update on the earlier version is the addition of three new chapters on creative leadership, diversity, and ethics. However, it is disappointing that these three chapters are only a few pages long, not written with the same rigor as the previous chapters, and presented as essays developed to share the author's personal and philosophical views.
The book provides suggested homework assignments and activities targeted as resources for class facilitators. There are dozens of experiential learning activities such as ice breakers, team builders, self-analysis tools, and case studies. The nursing professional development specialist could use some of these activities in facilitating classes for emerging nurse leaders. However, most of the suggested assignments and activities would best be used in an academic classroom. At the cost of $70, this book may be best reserved for use in a graduate nursing leadership course.
Delivering Culturally Competent Nursing Care
G. Kersey-Matusiak, New York: Springer Publishing, 2013, ISBN: 978-0-8261-9381-0, soft cover, 284 pages, $55.00.
Reviewed by:
Deborah Giedosh, EdD, MA, RN
Director of Nursing
Alaska Career College
Anchorage, Alaska
The diversity of health care requires nurses to be culturally competent. However, cultural competence does not begin in the practice area after graduation but rather and more effectively as an interwoven aspect of nursing curriculum. It is incumbent upon professional nurse educators to assist students to internalize cultural competence to implement effective nursing care.
In this text, the author provides a framework that offers contextual learning opportunities for teachers and students through the Cultural Competency Staircase Model. The framework supports student self-reflection, critical thinking, and problem solving through an evidence-based approach.
Chapters are organized to assist students in their ascent of the Cultural Competency Staircase via concepts, case scenarios, reflection, and application to NCLEX-type questions with corresponding American Association of Colleges of Nursing competencies. Each chapter additionally contains extensive references to include Web-based resources. This text is inclusive of a broadened definition of diversity within the culture of poverty, sexual orientation, gender disparities of health, and individuals with disabilities as well as the challenges of working with colleagues from diverse backgrounds in the healthcare area.
Kersey-Matusiak's text, although oriented to the undergraduate student, could be effective as a supplemental reading at the graduate level for nurses in nurse educator and leadership tracks. Cultural competence is not a choice but a necessity for all nursing professionals who engage in the art and science of nursing care. This text provides both perspectives in a most effective and engaging manner.
Disclaimer: The author has disclosed that she has no significant relationships with, or financial interest in, any commercial companies pertaining to this review.