Demonstrating Care: The Art of Integrative Nursing

Rating:
Summary: Essential book for all libraries of Nursing literature
Review: "Demonstrating Care: The Art of Integrative Nursing" is an important contribution to Nursing for the 21st century. Martha Libster channels history, theory, science, and the art of Nursing through foundations of clinical practice. These nursing ingredients are then blended throughout the book into a vision of integration with which to align present and future efforts. It is a simple and practical guide yet covers complex concepts with personal examples from the author as well as 10 experienced nurses from different specialties of practice. It includes a new model for integrative practice and human caring. This book serves as an inspiration and honors all that nurses are as well as what they do. Every library both academic and personal should include this piece of nursing literature somewhere on the shelf with Florence Nightingale's "Notes on Nursing", books written about Martha E. Rogers "Science of the Unitary Human Being", Patricia Benner's "From Novice to Expert", Jean Watson's " Post Modern Nursing", Rosemarie Parse's " The Human Becoming School of Thought", and Nola Pender's "Health Promotion in Nursing Practice". It is a reference for "caring fundamentals" to include touch, environment, nutrition, communication, and energy. It is a reference for the integration of complementary healing therapies with biomedical technology. I have personally experienced this book to feed my scholarly, intellectual, physical, and spiritual nursing soul at a time when I question the futility of continuing to be a part of the profession of nursing. This book is a must for all nurses but especially those who are struggling with current trends in health care and the profession of nursing.