Now in its fifth edition, the Dictionary of Nursing is one of the latest offerings from the well respected Oxford university Press Oxford Paperback Reference series. This new edition contains over 10,000 entries covering all aspects of nursing. The publishers describe it as “authoritative and accessible”.
If you've ever wanted to know how to pronounce xerostomia, or indeed what it is (dry mouth syndrome), or its opposite (ptyalism), then this well‐produced and straightforward dictionary is an excellent starting point. It also covers much more common terms, like influenza and pregnancy. Many entries outline abbreviations: find out what a QALY stands for (Quality of Life Year) or what a UTI is (Urinary Tract Infection). There are one or two slight omissions: NCVQ is included, for example, although NVQ is not.
For this 2008 edition, many new terms have been incorporated, including what the preface describes as terms relating to “ethics, critical care, resuscitation, statistics, and recent initiatives to improve standards in NHS care”, such as NSF and National Service Frameworks. There are also many new drugs entries, making use of recommended International Non‐proprietary Names (rINNs). The entry on Paracetamol, for example, includes Calpol and Panadol as trade names.
Each dictionary entry is highlighted in bold. There is a pronunciation guide, information on what part of speech it belongs to (noun, verb, prefix, etc), and a short, practical, to the point description. Where appropriate, cross‐references are given, both to synonyms and antonyms. Where there is a web link from the companion website, a small globe icon and the instruction “see web links” appears. The web address itself, however, is only given once, on the title page at the beginning of the dictionary: it would have been helpful if it could have been given with the entries themselves. The web address is www.oup.com/uk/reference/resources/nursing.
There are 13 very useful appendices: biochemical reference values for blood; biochemical reference values for urine; biochemical reference values for faeces; haematological reference values; body mass index (BMI); nutrition and energy; formulae for calculating drug dosages; immunization schedules; and guidelines for resuscitation. There is a short guide to the Human Rights Act and a brief overview of some of the world's major religions with reference to religion and nursing practice. There is also a useful list of health care websites; and if you want to know what RMN or MBA after someone's name really means, there is an appendix on degree and diploma abbreviations. Another appendix covers SI units, and the final appendix gives the NMC code of professional conduct from 2004.
The dictionary is illustrated throughout with simple line drawings, which are generally well‐annotated, legible, and on the same page as the dictionary entry. There is a good range of drawings, ranging from a diagram of the principal bones of the body, to the alimentary canal. Other illustrations include animal cells and Braun's splint.
As with most Oxford University Press publications, this dictionary represents very good value for money. It would be an excellent addition to any health or college library's reference shelves and would be useful, not only for nurses and midwives, but for health and human physiology students, allied health professionals, health visitors, and secretarial staff supporting health professionals.
