Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #794089 in Books
• Published on: 1994-02-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 832 pages

Synopsis
Comprehensive, highly illustrated and prepared specifically for nurses, this dictionary should be a useful reference for practical, clinical information. Definitions have been selected to encompass all areas of nursing, with a particular focus on student nurses and nurses in clinical practice. It is a reference source that reflects extensive research in current literature, both textbooks and periodicals.

Customer Reviews

A student nurse's choice of Nursing Dictionary
Whether open on my desk, while I agonize over the latest essay, or in my locker, ready to spare my blushes on the ward - my nursing dictionary rarely sits on the bookshelf for very long.

Having spent time looking at other nursing dictionaries, I decided to buy Blackwell’s dictionary because of its breadth - it is heavier than other titles because it contains more. I can’t recall having to look in one of my friends dictionaries because I was unable to find a definition.

The other main advantage is the quality of the diagrams in Blackwell’s Dictionary. Illustrations are large and clear and unlike other books, do not appear squashed in to save space. The labels are also unobtrusive and easily legible.

Its important to point out that this book is not a cheap alternative to an anatomy and physiology textbook. Whilst having a relatively large scope, it does not go so deeply into describing the complexities of the bodies systems and how they fit together. Although it is invaluable to have around when learning from such heavy text books.

Where this book has really helped is whilst on clinical placement. The definitions given by well meaning qualified staff often seem to go in one ear and out the other – it helps to have a straightforward refence to consult during break times.

The pronunciation guide is useful in this sense and its reasonably easy to pick-up. This is especially handy since so many medical staff seem keen to impress by using the most complex sounding words.

As with most reference and text books, having a good look at your friend’s nursing dictionaries or spending some time in the library comparing different versions, is time well spent.

The Royal College of Nursing and several of my friends favour Bailliere’s Nurses’ Dictionary. The descriptions are straightforward and the cover seems more hard wearing. The appendices, which cover basic skills and useful addresses, also appear more useful than Blackwell’s dictionary. (In fact I’ve yet to actually utilise any of the extra information at the back of my dictionary so far.)

I was also initially tempted to purchase the Oxford Dictionary of Nursing. Yet I found the definitions often contained unfamiliar words, which in turn have to be looked up. This can be frustrating and does little for the confidence you have in your existing knowledge. The paper it was printed also felt cheap by comparison.

Different people will prefer different books but I chose Blackwell’s Dictionary because of

The scheer volume of definitions – I have yet to over hear an expression used on the ward or in the classroom that I was not able to later find in this dictionary;

The definitions are written using straightforward language and the type is clearly legible;

The diagrams are larger and easier to read than other nursing dictionaries.