From Library Journal
Designed for students of nursing and the allied health professions, caregivers, and the educated lay reader, this five-volume set includes over 850 signed articles on various aspects of nursing. Covered here are nursing and allied healthcare education and training, current health issues (viewpoints, professional implications), tests and procedures (descriptions, precautions, aftercare), and equipment/tools (descriptions, operation, healthcare team roles), as well as diseases (causes, diagnosis, treatment) and human biology/body systems (functions, role in human health). Although there is some overlap, particularly in the last two categories with The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine (LJ 2/15/99; 2d ed. 2001), this text focuses primarily on the interests of nurses and allied health professionals. According to the preface, the essays were contributed by physicians, nurses, and other health professionals, but Krapp (The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine) has not always indicated their credentials. Over 400 black-and-white illustrations or photos and 50 tables enhance the material, as does an extensive list of print and nonprint resources, which includes up-to-date web addresses. The alphabetical arrangement, the shaded boxes defining key terms, and the ample cross references will be familiar to users of other Gale reference products. This work will make an excellent, albeit expensive, addition to large public libraries and graduate institutions offering appropriate programs. Margaret K. Norden, Marymount Univ. Lib., Arlington, VA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
This new encyclopedia from Gale covers a wide range of subjects related to nursing and the allied health professions. The 850 signed alphabetical entries deal with diseases and disorders
(Alcoholism, Movement disorders ); tests and procedures
(Barium enema, Lithotripsy ); equipment and tools
(Heart-lung machines, Stethoscope); human biology and body systems
(Cardiovascular system, Cell division); nursing and allied health professions
(Biomedical engineering, Nurse midwifery ); and current health issues
(Americans with Disabilities Act, Managed care plans ).
The entries are one to six pages long. They include definitions and descriptions along with basic material related to the subject (diagnosis and treatment of diseases, maintenance of equipment, and required education for careers). Definitions of key terms appear in shaded boxes, and black-and-white illustrations augment the text. Resource lists appear at the ends of the articles. An appendix lists allied health and nursing organizations.
Although there is a great deal of useful material here, all of it is readily available in other sources that libraries may own. General medical encyclopedias such as The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine (2d ed., Gale, 2001), the Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance (11th ed., Ferguson, 2000), The Encyclopedia of Associations (Gale, annual), and the Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice (7th ed., Lippincott, 2001) cover much of this subject matter. This high-priced, redundant source is not a necessary purchase. RBB
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