Essential Nurse Prescribing

Media Reviews edited by Graham R. Williamson

Spirituality and Palliative Care: Social and Pastoral Perspectives by Bruce Rumbold. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2002, 247 pages, £14Æ95, ISBN 0 195 51352 5. This book extends and widens the debates surrounding the concept of spirituality and palliative care. The editor asserts that this compilation extends the focus of spirituality and the provision of spiritual care through the exclusion of clinical practice disciplines. It was interesting how the editor managed this process through the views and experiences of contributors. It is apparent that one of the aims of the book is to shift the position of spirituality from a professional responsibility to a more ‘public health approach’ by acknowledging that everyone is responsible for spiritual care. The book is well structured in three discrete sections: exploring spirituality; reflecting upon experience; developing responses. Organizing the book with discrete parts and chapters allows the reader to ‘dip in and out’. The content of the book and the views presented are certainly provocative. A minor criticism is that in places the written word does not appear totally accurate, for example pastoral care workers voices ‘are the least in evidence in today’s health care literature’ (p. xi) and ‘spirituality is a minor theme in the literature of medicine, nursing…’ (p. 31). These two

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statements are not substantiated by contemporary developments. Pondering aside, I found this book challenging and valuable. The directive to listen and represent the perspectives of patients and users is welcome. Despite the absence of clinicians’ views, and the somewhat Judeo-Christian emphasis, I’m sure this book will appeal to all health care professionals, pastoral and social care workers. Indeed the book should take a prominent place on the reading lists of anyone involved in educating those involved in the provision of spiritual and palliative care. Wilfred McSherry University of Hull, UK Essential Nurse Prescribing by Molly Courtenay & Michele Butler. Greenwich Medical Media, London, 2002, 212 pages, £24Æ50, ISBN 1 841 10108 7. Nurse prescribing developments are rapidly advancing, as it becomes a part of everyday practice for an increasing number of nurses. It is therefore difficult for a book to be able to keep up-to-date with developments as they occur, although on the whole, Essential Nurse Prescribing has achieved this. It is directed to those nurses undertaking the extended nurse-prescribing course, but the content applies to all nurse prescribers. It provides a balance of anatomy

and physiology, linked to specific conditions and related to the limited drugs on the formulary. The layout of the book provides an easy-to-follow guide to safe and effective prescribing practice, incorporating product dosage, contraindications and adverse reactions. The nursing points in each chapter provide indicators in assessment and decision-making. In addition, they are useful revision pointers for students when undertaking objective structured clinical examinations as part of their assessment on the course. Not only is this book essential for any nurse undertaking the extended nurse prescribing course, but it is a useful resource for anyone interested in undertaking the training but not sure if it is relevant to their area of practice. It indicates both the conditions for which a nurse can prescribe but also the limitations for what they are able to undertake. It would have been useful to have a glossary of terms at the back to refer to particularly for those using the book as a learning resource. Although the content does not meet the specific needs of the supplementary nurse prescriber, it still provides the core principles of nurse prescribing required irrelevant of your prescribing status. Elizabeth Plastow University of Plymouth, UK

 2003 Blackwell Publishing Ltd