Nurse Education in Practice 11 (2011) e13
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Nurse Education in Practice
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/nepr
Book Review
Fundamentals of Nursing, Concepts, Process and Practice,
B. Kozier, G. Erb, A. Berman, S. Synder, R. Lake, S. Harvey. Pearson
Education, Harlow (2008). 787 pp., price 31.99, ISBN: 978-0-13-
197653-5
This text presents a welcome adaptation of an American text for
the European nursing audience. As novices, students may not
always be able to distinguish between the healthcare systems or
policies and regulations governing practice in various jurisdictions,
thus, in this regard, this text is particularly helpful. Undergraduate
nursing students, particularly those taking the Common Founda-
tion Programme (UK) are the target audience, thus internationality
is limited as the text is primarily UK based. The text is for the most
part general nursing focused.
The book contains 26 chapters addressing a wide range of
aspects of fundamental nursing care. Chapters 1–10 address theo-
retical and professional issues in nursing such as historical and
current practice; law; research; models; theories and care path-
ways; health; wellness and illness; aspects of psychosocial health;
health promotion; healthcare delivery (settings and process); the
nursing process and mental health. The subject matter of these
chapters is important, as it enables students to gain an under-
standing of the scope of nursing and the wider healthcare and
societal systems and contexts in which it takes place.
Chapter 11–20 and 23 focus on essential principles of physical
care that have a broad application regardless of where healthcare
is being provided. Included are areas such as infection control,
moving and handling; hygiene; skin integrity and wound care; vital
signs; oxygenation; nutrition; hydration; and bowel and urinary
elimination. Chapters 21, 22, 24, 25, 26 address key aspects of
care such as the administration of medication; pain management;
pre and post-operative care; emergency management of the
patient and resuscitation and physical assessment and diagnostic
testing. Although the final chapter on physical assessment and
diagnostic testing may challenge the novice, it serves as a useful
resource.
doi:10.1016/j.nepr.2011.03.001
Visually the book is attractively re-designed from the original
and the supporting features are excellent. Photographs and
diagrammatic representations bring the book alive and help the
student conceptualize the subject matter. In addition, most
chapters contain practice guidelines and procedures that facilitate
learning and provide a consistent link to clinical practice. However,
the evidence base provided within the text needs some attention.
Chapter references are somewhat dated. Clear direction to the
evidence sources for the practice guidelines is needed. Chapters
also contain clinical alerts. These, while useful, would also have
increased impact if evidence based.
Positive pedagogical features include case studies at the outset
of each chapter; definitions and clarification of clinical terms; links
to relevant websites and critical reflection questions. Provision of
chapter highlights also enables students to maintain clinical practice
focus. A companion website with additional case studies and
sample answers is provided in the “instructor resource centre”.
However, clinical anecdotes, possibly an interesting feature from
the novice student perspective, add little overall.
On the whole, the book contextualizes and provides a valuable
overview of the world of nursing for undergraduate students and
perhaps those who are returning to nursing. The content is
presented in a readable and understandable manner. However,
given the breadth of topics explored, as the student progresses
and gains knowledge and experience additional supplementary
texts would be required. The only notable omission is perhaps
further consideration of issues related to death and dying since
students are likely to encounter these early in their careers. There
is also a concern that aspects of care such as CPR, basic life support
and manual handling guidelines and policies tend to change
frequently with the result that the content herein may date quickly.
Nonetheless, this is a valuable introductory text.
Patricia Cronin
Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
E-mail address: pcronin@tcd.ie