Book Review
Community Nursing Practice: Theory, Skills and Issues
Winsome St John and Helen Keleher (eds)
ISBN: 2007; 978; xix+425 pages; Allen & Unwin, St Leonards;
Suzanne Sharrad
Lecturer, Discipline of Nursing, University of Adelaide, Adelaide SA
In the preface of this text the editors have cited that it is about community nursing theory, knowledge and skills. The aim of this text is therefore to provide a comprehensive exploration of these aspects of community nursing, in order to arm clinicians with the necessary attributes to be both effective and successful in their role. Information is presented in an Australian context and fourteen contributors have been assembled by the editors and include expert clinicians, academics and researchers. Each has contributed based on their own area of expertise, for example, Professor Charlotte de Crespigny's chapter, co written with Winsome St John, on ‘Working with community groups'. Both authors have extensive experience in working with communities and nurses in communities.
The book has twenty chapters and is divided into four parts: a theoretical foundation of community practice; approaches in community nursing practice; practice in the community; and issues in community nursing practice. Some of the chapters are brief and as a consequence many aspects of community nursing are covered concisely. However, the end result is the production of a text which is readable and functional.
Parts of the text are similar in nature to other previously published Australian texts on the same topic. Interesting omissions in this text include sections on specific sub-specialties within community nursing; for example, maternal and child health nursing or providing care to children and adolescents in the community. The target audience is said to be undergraduate or post-graduate nursing students as well as practicing community nurses. As each chapter contains an overview, list of objectives, list of questions, key terms, case studies and activities, it is perhaps better suited to students than experienced nurses. The learning objectives are key strategies which enable students to select and focus on important points within each chapter, while the case studies provide a good vehicle for application of newly acquired knowledge and skills. Other useful educational strategies include concise and contextual information in tables and boxes, and the inclusion of useful websites and further reading suggestions. The list of references is provided at the end of the book rather that at the end of each part or chapter.
Overall, this text would be an interesting and useful inclusion in the library of any nursing student undertaking studies on community nursing. For already practicing community nurses it may prove useful as a reference tool.
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