JAN BOOK REVIEW

Edited by Graham R. Williamson

Solution Focused Nursing. Rethinking Practice Integral to each chapter are activities encouraging readers to
by Margaret McAllister. evaluate and re-evaluate how they would have approached the
Palgrave Macmillan, 2006, care needs of the individual in the story. The activities can be
£18Æ99, ISBN: 1403946272 included in student teaching sessions, allowing a focus for critical
discussion to develop in the classroom setting.
A thought-provoking read and, in my opinion, a must for all
The first three chapters set the scene for readers and explore
educationalists! This book brings a new and interesting dimen-
philosophical and sociological concepts relating to nursing
sion to assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating nursing
practice. Within these chapters the authors identify and discuss
practice in numerous healthcare settings and in meeting the
a variety of theories whilst applying them, in an easy-to-
learning needs of student nurses. The book encompasses all four
understand manner, to the practice of solution focused nursing.
branches of nursing, which is refreshing as few texts investigate
The final chapter structures how to implement solution focused
them together. That the authors have not divided the book into
nursing; the author does not promote solution focused nursing as
healthcare settings but have followed the continuum of life
the ‘right’ teaching and learning strategy but suggests that it is
makes the whole read invigorating.
worth exploring.
Educators will find this book beneficial as it offers a different
Most authors are from Australia and New Zealand, but two
approach to teaching students about contexts of care. There are
are based in the United Kingdom (UK). References to care
subtle differences between solution focused nursing and problem-
interventions generally relate to the Southern Hemisphere;
based nursing yet the authors clearly identify these and offer their
regardless, the authors’ underpinning philosophies easily transfer
rationale for the use of solutions rather than the definition of
to the UK healthcare system and education settings.
problems.
This book is worth reading and I believe you will enjoy it!
The book is divided into 14 chapters that discuss how solution
focused care may be implemented. The chapters provide readers Karen Ousey BA MA RN
with a ‘patient’s or practitioner’s story’ on which the concept of Divisional Head Acute and Critical Care Nursing,
solution focused care can be explored. This in itself brings the Department of Adult and Children’s Nursing,
book ‘to life’ by allowing readers to think about incidents they Harold Wilson Building, University of Huddersfield,
have encountered in their practice. It made me reflect on how I Huddersfield, UK
had handled events in the past and re-evaluate why I had acted in
a particular way.

Ó 2007 The Author. Journal compilation Ó 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 195