The Professional Nurse: Coping with Change, Now and the Future

by Michael Bowman

Overview

Michael Bowman's book forms a useful reference source for Health Service staff interested in the role of the professional nurse and the dis charge of professional accountability. I am delighted that this work competently deals with nursing's dilemmas about its therapeutic role over a crucial period in its history, especially the effects of major structural change on the profession between the period from the implementation of the Salmon and Mayston Reports up to the present time and Project 2000. The picture is in Dr Bowman's opinion not a very happy one from the viewpoint of the profession. Some of the changes that have taken place have involved some loss of professional cohesion and were independent of the organizational framework of the National Health Service. Nevertheless, it is disturbing that nurses appear during the period covered to have Ilad a quite inadequate input to the shaping of Health Policy. There are already signs that the nursing profession has begun to absorb the warnings ci ted in Dr Bowman's study. However, in the wake of the National Health Service reforms and the implementing of a business culture in the National Health Service, nurses may find the message of this book only too familiar. That does not for one moment mean that the nursing input to corporate strategy and general direction should be defensive or reactionary. British nursing continues to be highly regarded by the general public.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781565932975
Publisher:	Springer US
Publication date:	01/01/1995
Edition description:	1995
Pages:	246
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.02(d)

Table of Contents

1. The problem focused.- 2. The study—rationale, design and methodology: profile of district health authorities.- 3. Findings of the study: résumé of the evidence and supporting data.- 4. The job of the nurse: the data as revealed by investigation and analysis.- 5. Nurses’ accountability and its role-related elements.- 6. Nurses’ authority and autonomy in the context of their responsibility and accountability.- 7. Patients: how well are their needs met?.- 8. Nurses’ stress: parallels with other professionals.- 9. Educational significance of findings: initiatives and proposals.- References.

Editorial Reviews

Argues that nurse education, training and on-going processional development fall short of ideal standards, based on a four-year study examining the role of the nurse. Discusses problems and dilemmas encountered by nurses, and suggest a model for nursing education and development. Distributed in the US by Singular. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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