Book Reviews

Abstract

Verklan MT, Walden M, Forest S, eds. Elsevier; 2021. Paperback; 800 pages.The purpose of any book with the title Core Curriculum is to provide the foundational content needed for safe nursing practice for a particular patient population. Core Curriculum for Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing provides content for nurses caring for high-acuity neonatal patients requiring intensive care monitoring and management from the first days of life. Because the content is presented in an outline format, it can easily be used for both study and reference. There are multiple boxes, tables, and figures throughout the book, providing additional context to the outline format. This book is also intended to be a study guide for current certification examinations available to neonatal intensive care nurses.The content is divided into 4 parts: (1) Antepartum, Intrapartum, and Transition to Extrauterine Life; (2) Cornerstones of Clinical Practice; (3) Pathophysiology: Management and Treatment of Common Disorders; and (4) Professional Practice. Part 1 discusses both uncomplicated care and any complications that may arise during the antepartum, intrapartum, and transition to extrauterine life period. Topics include perinatal substance abuse and neonatal delivery room resuscitation.Part 2 addresses the basic needs of all neonates, including assessment, developmental needs, pharmacology, family needs, and patient safety. Genetics is also included in this section, as well as discharge planning and intra- and interfacility transport.Part 3 focuses on issues related to body systems; the first 4 chapters are dedicated to respiratory distress, apnea, assisted ventilation, and extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation. In addition, a chapter is devoted to congenital anomalies.Finally, part 4 addresses the professional practice issues that arise while caring for this vulnerable population. This part also discusses neonatal research and ethical and legal issues. The chapter on research covers both the evaluation of existing research and the issues related to conducting ethical research with neonates. This chapter also discusses the role of the nurse in advocating for the patient and family when research is being considered and performed.Reference lists are provided at the end of each chapter. An appendix at the end of the book contains the newborn metric conversion tables for temperature, length, and weight.Overall, this edition of the Core Curriculum for Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing provides the knowledge base required to give safe care to these small patients and their families and the framework of study materials needed for certification examinations. Educators may use this book as a reference guide, students may use it for study materials, and practicing nurses may use it for reference and certification preparation.Harper MG, Bodine J, Russell J. Association for Nursing Professional Development; 2020.This small booklet is part of the Nursing Professional Development Quick Guide Series. The goal of this book is to provide an overview of the process of gap analysis; that is, the “difference in the current state and desired state of practice.” Conducting an effective gap analysis helps determine the learning needs and how best to address them. (It is not always a PowerPoint presentation!) Links to additional resources are available throughout the booklet via QR codes. A table summarizes methods of data collection, with both advantages and disadvantages listed for each method.Kapp KM, Defelice RA. Association for Talent Development; 2019. Paperback.What is microlearning? In this short book, the authors attempt to answer that question. Or, to be more precise, they provide the theory of microlearning and the concepts and research that support its use. Think of learning in short bites. It could be a text message; it could be an app(lication); or it could be a game. Although it may take just as long to develop the process and content, microlearning should fit more easily within the workflow. Imagine learning just-in-time at the teachable moment, rather than sitting in a classroom or for hours in front of a computer. If you are an educator, this type of instructional design could be of interest to you.