McGraw-Hill Professional to Publish Award-Winning Drug Reference

McGraw-Hill Professional, a leading global provider of information resources for the scientific and medical communities, today announced it has acquired the award-winning Nursing Spectrum Drug Handbook, by Patricia Dwyer Schull, MSN, RN, from Gannett Healthcare Group (formerly Nursing Spectrum), a nursing and healthcare- oriented communications company and a division of Gannett Company, Inc.

McGraw-Hill Professional will publish the drug handbook, a medication administration manual for nurses, beginning with the 2008 edition, which will be available in both print and in PDA format.

Designed for both practicing nurses and nursing students, the Nursing Spectrum Drug Handbook incorporates contributions and reviews from more than 40 practicing pharmacists, nurses, and nurse consultants worldwide. As a result, the 2008 edition focuses on the two issues that nurses rank as the most important attributes for a drug handbook -- coverage of patient safety and ease of use.

As one RN reviewer explained, "I believe that Nursing Spectrum has come through with a book that will provide an invaluable resource for nurses interested in providing a safer and more effective environment for patients and nurses."

"The Nursing Spectrum Drug Handbook is designed to make a nurse's challenging job easier," said Martin Wonsiewicz, vice president and publisher of McGraw-Hill Professional's Medical Group. "McGraw-Hill Professional will continue to enhance the value of the Nursing Spectrum Drug Guide, one of the most accessible and authoritative references for nurses."

The handbook allows nurses to easily find information about many drug characteristics; from a drug's action, to dosages, to adverse reactions for more than 3,000 branded and 1,000 generic drugs. Patient safety is highlighted throughout the book through "clinical alert" logos (used to call attention to critical considerations), specific information on life-threatening adverse reactions, and a full-color "safe drug administration" insert. To assist nurses in avoiding medication errors, the handbook also provides a list of common abbreviations with frequently mistaken abbreviations highlighted.

"When we first launched the Nursing Spectrum Drug Handbook in 2004, an Institute of Medicine report had revealed that preventable drug errors accounted for more deaths than motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer, and AIDS, underscoring the need for a thorough understanding of drugs and an expertise in administering them," noted Steven H. Hauber, publisher and CEO of Gannett Healthcare Group. "That is why we are so pleased to be working with a leading information provider like McGraw-Hill Professional, whose dedication to the nursing community matches our own."

The publication will be supported by a substantial marketing effort through Gannett Healthcare Group's biweekly and monthly publications, including Nursing Spectrum and NurseWeek, which are read by more than one million registered nurses coast-to-coast.

About McGraw-Hill Professional

McGraw-Hill Professional is a unit of McGraw-Hill Education, a leading global provider of instructional, assessment and reference solutions that empower professionals and students of all ages. McGraw-Hill Education, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 40 languages. Additional information is available at http://www.mheducation.com/

About Gannett Healthcare Group

Gannett Healthcare Group (formerly Nursing Spectrum) is a nursing and healthcare-oriented communications company and a division of Gannett Company, Inc. In February 2004, Nursing Spectrum acquired NurseWeek, an RN-focused communications company of similar size, thereby expanding its coverage and reach to RNs coast-to-coast via 12 regional magazines, two web destinations, dozens of career fairs and hundreds of continuing education offerings. Today, the company has grown to promote the recognition and support of the healthcare community by providing timely, relevant, and compelling information through its award winning magazines, annual career guides, websites, television programs, continuing education services, and career fairs reaching more than one million RNs and other healthcare professionals worldwide. Gannett Healthcare Group is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia.

SOURCE: McGraw-Hill Professional

CONTACT: Tom Stanton
McGraw-Hill Education
212-902-3214
tom_stanton@mcgraw-hill.com

Web site: http://www.mheducation.com/