Editors: Vari Drennan, Claire Goodman
This is part of the Oxford Handbook series; it is an extremely useful guide for nurses working in both or either community or primary care settings.
As the scope of work in primary care and community settings has increased I have found this book to be a very worthwhile resource. For the nurse new to the field it sets out the skills and knowledge needed to care for families and individuals from cradle to grave. For the experienced community or primary care nurse or health visitor it provides an accessible instant resource for everyday practice, an aide memoir, and reference to locate more in depth information. Our medical colleagues could also use it.
It is written by nurses who are currently working and actively engaged in current practice, research and policy activities. This is demonstrated by the breadth and diversity of topics covered.
In addition to essential, core, clinical information, it also provides the organisational knowledge necessary for primary care nurses who work on the interface of the statutory and voluntary sectors in health education and social care. Chapters range from common adult health problems to medicines management and nurse prescribing.
The presentation is easy to read with each topic allocated a page. It has a hardwearing plastic cover and is not too bulky or heavy to carry around.
I particularly found the benefits table and the expected time off work post surgery useful. The quality and risk management section is particularly thorough and well-written and essential reading before any job interview in the primary and community care setting.
Lynn Young of the RCN in her foreword stated that ".. current and future primary care and community nurse now have the advantage of having access to a most excellent publication to aide then through the diversity and challenges of their daily practice", and I totally agree.
ISBN
ISBN-10: 0198568902
ISBN-13: 978-0198568902
Publisher
Oxford University Press; 1st edition (2007)
Paperback
859 pages
Reviewer
Sonia Hall
Nurse Consultant CityDoc/ Nurse Practitioner Concordia Health and Committee member RCN PNA
