Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning 4th Edition by Jacqueline Rhoads & Sandra Wiggins Petersen (2020)

Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning, Fourth Edition by Jacqueline Rhoads and Sandra Wiggins Petersen is the essential advanced practice nursing resource for mastering the diagnostic reasoning process and the comprehensive health assessment skills required for accurate clinical diagnosis. Published by Jones & Bartlett Learning, this authoritative text covers the diagnostic reasoning process that providers must follow when assessing an actual patient case — making it indispensable for nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and all advanced practice clinicians.

The text clearly outlines each step of the health assessment process and demonstrates the critical link between health history and physical examination. It provides the healthcare professional with the essential data needed to formulate a diagnosis and treatment plan, with a unique two-column format in every clinical chapter: the first column gives the action, and the second column lists normal and abnormal findings along with possible diagnoses associated with those findings — presenting clinical assessment in exactly the way advanced practice providers think at the bedside.

The Fourth Edition features three introductory chapters covering general strategies for health history taking, physical examination, and documentation, followed by chapters on clinical assessment of all major body systems. New chapters cover spiritual, cultural, and nutritional assessment. Updated chapters address female genitourinary and breast disorders and musculoskeletal disorders. Every clinical chapter contains a differential diagnosis section and a section on assessment of special populations. Each new print copy includes Navigate 2 Premier Access for online course integration.

Key topics include: advanced health history, physical examination, clinical reasoning, diagnostic decision-making, differential diagnosis, health assessment across the lifespan, and culturally competent assessment. Essential for NP, DNP, PA, and advanced nursing programs, and for clinicians preparing for ANCC, AANP, and PANCE/PANRE board certification examinations.