A O R N J O U R N A L ~~ SEPTFMBER 1990. VOL S 2 , s

influence nurses’ desire to seek employment. There are diagrams and charts that help the reader better understand nursing administration.

After reading the text, nurse educators could gain insight to the relationship of marketing nurses to the educational programs provided to employees. The information focuses on evaluating nursing within the hospital structure, and it shows systematic steps for evaluation of educational nursing programs.

Nurses, as well as other health care workers, would find this book informative if they are interested in planning, implementing, and evaluating programs that affect nursing and patients. This book contains good background information for every nurse to better understand decisions made by managers and supervisors.

The book is available from the National League for Nursing, 10 Columbus Cir. New York, NY 10019.

SUSAN KANESHIRO, RN, MS, CNOR CHARGE NURSEIOR

SIMI VALLEY (CALIF) ADVENTIST HOSPITAL

The Encyclopedia of Group Activities Edited by J. William Pfeiffer 1989, 431 p p $89.95 loose leaf

This vohminous notebook is a compendium of group activities with contributions by 10 authors and adaptations from nine sources. It is not designed specifically for nurses (much less operating room nurses) but rather for individuals interested in facilitating group development, optimal interaction, or troubleshooting in situations in which dysfunctional interpersonal dynamics interfere with group goals. The book, in this context, plays to a limited audience of group leaders in a variety of settings.

In another context, however, this encyclopedia offers something for everyone. It is divided into six headings (eg, personal awareness, values clarification, communication, feedback) and is written in clear colloquial English. It is unburdened by the jargon that plagues a number of similar publications, which tend to pursue one particular school of psychological thought in a more or less

doctrinaire manner. The book is, in short, flexible and panoramic. It is designed to make the data it presents easy to comprehend and implement and, to a certain degree, fun.

It is not, however, easy or much fun to read. Unless the reader is engaged in or is specifically charged with leading a group, one activity tends to fuse into the next, and the reader is left with two basic impressions. It specifically emphasizes that “feelings count” and that if more people were aware of this hypothesis, groups might function more effectively. Sage administrators who are open to this perspective, therefore. might be better equipped to develop interventions that could lubricate the operations of the staff over whom they are responsible.

The book is available from University Asso- ciates, Inc, 8517 Production Ave, San Diego, CA 92121

KAY J. BANDELL, RN, MSW, CNOR OR NURSE 111

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MEDICAL CENTER

Los ANCELES

LASERS

Lasers in General Surgery Edited by Stephen N Jofle 1989, 313 pp $65 clothbound

This book is edited by a physician, and the intended audience includes surgeons, operating room managers, and operating room nurses involved in the use of all types of lasers.

This first chapter is helpful to those who are planning to purchase a laser. It informs the purchaser how to evaluate a particular laser, the price range, what type of service to expect from the laser manufacturer, and other helpful hints. It includes information on carbon dioxide, neodymium yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG), argon, potassium-titanyl phosphate (KTP), and dye lasers. Throughout the book, excellent illustrations and photographs enhance the text.

The next 24 chapters include general surgery procedures using either the carbon dioxide or

d+ 644

Nd:YAG laser. They describe each procedure and the special equipment needed to use one of the lasers. Wound healing. anesthesia, postoperative pain, and postoperative analgesia also are covered.

One chapter written by a registered nurse outlines the nursing care of a patient having a general surgery laser procedure. It includes a copy of a booklet about laser surgery used to educate the patient and answer some of his or her questions. It also includes an example of a nursing assessment, planning, and outcome form.

Laser safety is clearly explained with diagrams. Nurses involved in using different lasers will find this book very specific to their use. It is available from Williams & Wilkins, 428 Preston St, Baltimore, MD 2 1202.

PEARL M. TORRESYAP, RN, CNOR

BOSTON VA MEDICAL CENTER THORACIC CHARGE NURSE

COMPUTERS

Nursing and Computers: An Anthology Edired bv Virginia h‘. Soha, Kuren A . Rieder, Dorotliy B. Pocklington 1989, 439 p p $45 clothbound

Nursing and Computers: A n Anthologv is a comprehensive look at how computers are integrated into nursing practice. The editors maintain that the explosion of nursing information and the rapid advance of technology have made computers essential to nurses, not just “nice to have” equipment. The American Nurses’ Asso- ciation has officially endorsed nursing informatics as a critical component in the practice of nursing, and this book could be a beginner’s primer for those who are still uncomfortable with computers. It i s well written, superbly organized, and extremely thought provoking.

The book educates without confusing the reader with too much “insider” language. The premise is that nurses have moved on from “how to” and “what worked” to the present “what could be done” articles. This book has some of each and allows the reader to explore them at his or her own pace.

Sections I and I1 provide an overview of computers and identify requirements. They also provide a functional blueprint for beginners-get started! Sections 111 and IV focus on nursing administration, determining needs, and identifying criteria for system evaluation. They cover the practical aspects of planning, resource manage- ment, and patient classification.

Sections VI through IX cover the heart of nursing practice-standardizing the nursing data set, recording patient care, care planning systems, and integrating the nursing process into computer programming. They also emphasize the necessity of meshing with the rest of the hospital information systems.

Sections X and XI address computer applica- tions in research. Nurses collect a wealth of data, but it is useless for improving nursing practice unless it can be harnessed, collated, and sorted. Computers can d o that.

Sections XI1 through XIV elaborate on the uses of computers for patient and staff education. Computer-assisted instruction may allow students to simulate patient care for practice in assessment and decision making, which would allow immediate feedback and trial and error with no possible harm to the patient.

Computers are going to play a large part in nursing’s future, and future nurses must learn to harness their tremendous potential to accomplish the most good. If the reader wants to move into the twenty-first century and become computer literate in regard to nursing practice, Nursing and Computers: An Anthology is B great place to start.

The book is available from Springer-Verlag Publishing Co, 175 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010.

MARLA PATTERSON, RN, MA, CNOR

NAVAL HOSPITAL TWENTYNINE PALMS, C A L I F

LIEUENANT COMMANDER, NURSE CORPS