Book Review
Pathophysiology Applied to Nursing
Esther Chang, John Daly and Doug Elliot
ISBN: 978-0-729537-43-8; 2005; vi-x+493 pages; Mosby Elsevier, Sydney;
Allison Williams
Melbourne School of Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC Australia
This soft cover text presents a comprehensive introduction to major pathophysiological processes for Australian undergraduate nurses. The contributing authors have considerable expertise in the various specialties required to develop this resource. The text consists of an introductory review of concepts and theoretical models central to the meaning of health and acute and chronic illness, and a further sixteen chapters addressing pathophysiology from a systems approach. The table of contents and index are clearly organised so that the reader can quickly locate specific information.
Each chapter follows a template style to explore the system or topic under review from a nursing perspective. Definitions, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, expected treatment, applied pharmacology, and nursing implications for a broad range of conditions are discussed. Case studies incorporated into each chapter present clinical information to challenge the student to solve commonly encountered clinical problems. These studies contribute to the development of an understanding of pathophysiology as applied to clinical practice.
Limitations of this text are minor, and include a lack of coloured illustrations to facilitate an understanding complex material, which a complementary CD would assist. Reorganising some chapters according to disease prevalence would have improved the presentation of the book. Additionally, the use of the term, 'breakdown', was not favoured by the reviewer as it implies the person suffering the condition is beyond help and does not facilitate an understanding of how people adapt and cope with illness within an holistic framework.
In summary, the book is an excellent introductory text for Australian undergraduate nursing students. It is manageable, compact, and inexpensive and written in a manner designed to engage the novice, and provide additional learning exercises and references to facilitate further exploration and understanding.
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