Professor's book named Best of the Year

By Liz Wagner
Collegian Editor
February 27, 2008

One of La Salle’s own was acknowledged for her literary accomplishments this year by the American Journal of Nursing. Professor Patti Zuzelo was awarded Best Book of the Year in the advanced practice nursing category by the journal for her Clinical Nurse Specialist Handbook. The work that was an important and much needed contribution to the field of clinical nursing specialists and was received enthusiastically by the nursing community.

Zuzelo is the clinical nurse specialist track coordinator for graduate studies in La Salle’s nursing program, and when she started teaching at the university in 1997 realized there was a need for a book like the one she would later come to write for field.

“There are very few resources available for this field,” said Zuzelo. “I was constantly searching for material for my classes.”

Zuzelo broached the subject of writing a CNS book in August 2005. She signed a contract with her publisher, Jones & Bartlett, in September of that year and spent the next 11 months in a frenzied blur of compiling her book while continuing to teach classes at the university.

“It was a tough year,” Zuzelo said. “In retrospect, the whole thing seems surreal.”

The entire manuscript had to be submitted by Aug 1, 2006, and the book was printed in January 2007. Zuzelo wrote seven of the 10 chapters in the book. Two of the other chapters were written by La Salle faculty Director of Nursing Certificate and Distributive Learning and Associate Professor of the Graduate Nursing Program Janice Beitz and Dean of the Nursing Program Zane Wolfe, to whom Zuzelo dedicated the book.

“[Wolfe’s] been a great mentor to me,” Zuzelo said.

Zuzelo took those 11 months in stride. “I was really focused,” she said. “I set small goals for myself.” She became so caught up in her work that she didn’t take the time to step back and appreciate her accomplishment until it was finished. “I didn’t get really excited until I printed a hard copy to ship.”

Zuzelo received wide acclaim in the nursing community after the book’s release. On attending a conference hosted by the National Association of Critical Nursing Specialists in Phoenix last spring the organization held a book signing for her.

The book is currently being used at a number of nursing schools across the country, and Zuzelo has “received a lot of positive feedback,” from classes utilizing it.

As for her newly received award, Zuzelo was not even aware her book had won the American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award until she was skimming through a mailer after a faculty meeting and saw the insignia from the AJN next to her book.

Zuzelo was honored to be chosen for the award. She greatly admires the woman who was the judge who selected her book as “Book of the Year in the Advanced Nursing” category.

“She’s a wonderful, scholarly lady. It made the award more meaningful to me,” Zuzelo said.

But Zuzelo is not stopping there. She will be attending this year’s National Association of Critical Nursing Specialists next week in Atlanta. She is currently helping with the department move into Benilde Tower, and she’s taking classes at La Salle to become a certified nurse practitioner. She also has a contract with her publisher for a second edition of the book.

La Salle has been supportive of all Zuzelo’s endeavors and achievements. “That’s what makes La Salle so nice,” said Zuzelo. “It’s a really genuine place. Everyone is happy and supportive of my accomplishments.”

wagnere1@lasalle.edu