Abstract
Edited by Betty R. Ferrell and Nessa Coyle. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010, 1381 pages, $125.00.
Even with the world of online resources available at the touch of a button, the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Nursing will always occupy a prominent place on my work station. Now in its third edition, it remains the definitive source on the subject of palliative nursing. This text speaks not only to nurses but to all clinicians interested in broadening their palliative care horizon.
The Oxford Textbook of Palliative Nursing is a comprehensive resource on life-limiting illness and the care of the patient and family. As the editors write in the introductory section, the purpose of the book is, “to organize and disseminate the existing knowledge of experts in palliative care nursing and to provide a scientific underpinning for practice” (page 9). The 143 national and international experts that contribute to this work clearly convey the editors' intended message.
The Oxford Textbook of Palliative Nursing is organized into 10 parts with each part updated with expanded content. If you own the second edition, you will want to invest in the third edition, which contains 11 new chapters with new vignettes, case examples, and updated key points. As in the prior editions, each chapter is preceded by a patient vignette that previews themes in the upcoming chapter. For example, the vignette accompanying Chapter 38 on “Elderly Patients” highlights themes of holistic care for elderly patients by quoting an 80-year-old patient: “What a relief it is to find nurses and doctors who can see beyond the woman in the bed and see the person who loved the smell of freshly baked bread, who could read for hours on end, and who loved and was loved…” (page 713). After the vignettes, bulleted key points serve as a quick reference to the chapters' content. Finally, case examples throughout the text contextualize the material and engage the reader. Here follow some highlights of the changes and additions to the third edition.
The first part of the book, “General Principles” provides five chapters on key aspects of palliative care. Chapter 2, “Hospice Palliative Care for the 21st Century: A Model for Quality End of Life Care,” is an eloquent essay that describes a model hospice experience that fosters patient expression of the illness experience. “Rather than having professionals direct the patient and family experiences, hospice establishes a relationship of care and support that is directed by the patient and family…” (page 13). Additionally, this chapter includes a practical algorithm for approaching care planning or interdisciplinary team meetings by improving nursing communication skills. The new Chapter 3. “Hospital Based Palliative Care” gives an in-depth description of the state of the art in hospital based palliative care programs. Chapter 5. “Communication in Palliative Care: An Essential Competency for Nurses” reflects the growing recognition that nursing communication skills, like any other skills, can be taught, practiced, and acquired.
The Oxford Textbook of Palliative Nursing continues to evolve along with the growing field of palliative care. Part II encompasses “Symptom Assessment and Management” with 23 chapters of information on assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of commonly encountered issues in patients with advanced disease. In response to readers' requests, two new chapters on “Insomnia” and “Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Treatment” have been added to the section.
Part V, “Special Patient Populations” now includes “Caring for those with Chronic Illness,” which addresses how we recognize and treat those who are living with chronic illness from those who are dying from chronic illness. “End of Life Care for Patients with Mental or Personality Disorders,” and “Palliative Care of Cancer Survivors” are two more chapters that have been added to this part.
Part VIII, “Special Issues for the Nurse in End of Life Care” has been updated by the addition of two chapters, “The Advanced Practice Nurse,” and “Enhancing Team Effectiveness.” Chapter 60, “The Advanced Practice Nurse” (APN) is devoted entirely to special issues relevant to the APN. Beginning with the development of the APN role, the chapter takes us through nursing's significant contributions to palliative care practice and scholarship including, The National Consensus Project and National Quality Forum, and the eight competencies of an APN as developed by Hospice and Palliative Nursing Association. Certification, billing practices, and reimbursement are also covered. The chapter closes with two different case studies that highlight the pivotal role of the APN in the care of the palliative patient. Part IX has been renamed “International Models of Palliative Care” to reflect the innovative models of care at home and abroad. Nine chapters delve into palliative care models in both developed and developing countries. In-depth essays on what is current in Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe, Japan, Israel and Palestine, South Korea, South America, and the United Kingdom are all informative. The book concludes with Betty Ferrell's poignant chapter, “A Good Death.” An appendix and a palliative care resource list follow.
This text remains the definitive source for nurses both novice and expert in the field of palliative and end-of-life care. In addition to nurses as a target audience, I highly recommend the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Nursing to any clinician committed to the care and healing of the palliative patient.