techniques, the reader comes away with the firm conviction that the reason the professional nurse is concerned with these technical tasks is that he or she is first concerned about each patient’s needs during the intraoperative phase of his care. In the chapter, “Nursing Care in the Operating Room,” the authors state, “Whether scrubbing, circulating, or supervising, the operating room nurse is al- ways aware of the patient’s total environment. The patient is the foremost concern.”

This is an excellent teaching tool. The mate- rial is presented in a format usable for stu- dents, orientation of new graduates, nurses entering formal postgraduate programs, or as a reference book for continuing education.

Janett Propst, RN Independence, Mo

Behavioral Concepts and Nursing Throughout the Life Span. Roberts, Sharon L. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1978, 301 pp, $12.95 paperback.

Dealing comprehensively with “the most fre- quently utilized behavioral concepts as applied to all age groups” in 301 pages is a tall order, and it is evident that the author has attempted to cover too much material. The result is super- ficial and riddled with quotes.

Each of the 12 chapters could be (and may have been) individual lectures brought to- gether in a book to describe behavioral con- cepts. The author’s style is straight from the undergraduate classroom podium, and her application of these concepts to nursing prac- tice is so basic that I doubt the practitioner will read any of the chapters completely.

The long list of references is impressive, however, and this book may be useful as a reference in developmental phases, psychol- ogy, surgical nursing, and sociology for under- graduate nursing students. The chapter on “Loneliness” is good-the author concluding “Even though the hospitalized patient is sur- rounded by many stimuli, he or she can still experience the over-whelming feeling of sad- ness.”

If you have considerable experience in nurs- ing, use this book as a reference but not as a guide for practice because you will be disap- pointed.

Martha Hoffman, RN Greenville, Pa

Giving Emergency Care Competently, Nurs- ing ‘78 Skillbook Series. lntermed Communi- cations, Inc, Horsham, Pa 19044, 1978, 186 PP.

This is a book for every nurse, regardless of where she works. Many emergencies are commonly seen in the emergency department, but cardiac arrest, respiratory crisis, hemor- rhage, shock, and psychiatric episodes can and do happen anywhere.

Each of the 17 chapters deals with a specific emergency situation and outlines what the nurse should look for and expect and what she should do. A short quiz with each chapter uses examples that readers may encounter in their nursing practice. Answers are given at the end of the book so the nurse can check her re- sponses with those of the experts.

In addition to the emergencies listed above, the book covers how to set priorities and deal with stress. Cardiovascular, thoracic, abdomi- nal, obstetric, gynecological, genitourinary, head, neck, and spinal emergencies are also reviewed. A final chapter deals with shock, burns, poisoning, and anaphylactic shock.

This book is profusely illustrated, and impor- tant information is highlighted in the margins. The text is readable and uses many patient- care examples.

A recommended book for every nursing sta- tion.

Sister Kane, RHSJ, RN, MEd Cornwall, Ontario

Monitoring in Anesthesia. Saidman,Law- rence J; Smith, N Ty. John Wiley & Sons, 605 Third Ave, New York, NY 10016,1978,356 pp, $25.

Everything you have wanted to know about monitoring during anesthesia, plus many things you didn’t know you wanted to know, can be found in this extensive and detailed discussion of monitoring techniques and prin- ciples. Patients under anesthesia are moni- tored for two reasons-to enhance the care of the patient and to preserve a record of events so future patients may benefit from what was learned. With this in mind, the authors have directed this book to the clinician rather than to the research-oriented practitioner.

Three levels of monitoring have been ad- dressed. The first is routine or basic essential

472 AORN Journal, September 1978, Vol28, No 3