Thinking as a Nurse

Book excerpt: Thinking as a Nurse is a point-of-view work gleaned from 37 years of direct patient care and 25 years of teaching nursing. The book emphasizes the non-technical components of nursing practice--the cognitive and cerebral aspects. The primary role of nurses is to identify and solve patient problems and Thinking as a Nurse looks at influences of clinical problem solving such as empathy, what the patient says to the nurse, pathophysiology, nurse-physician relationships, teamwork, and setting priorities. Memorization and an overemphasis on technical skills are discussed as possible pitfalls in the education of nurses. The book helps students study for nursing examinations and be more adroit in their clinical practices. There are chapters addressing studying techniques and how to deal with NCLEX-type questions.