Product Description

This convenient reference is designed to help practicing nurses and nursing students make a nursing diagnosis and write a care plan with ease and confidence. An excellent teaching and learning tool, this handbook helps nurses correlate nursing diagnoses with known information about clients on the basis of assessment findings, established medical or psychiatric diagnoses, and the current treatment plan. This extensively revised and updated edition presents the most up-to-date information on all NANDA-approved nursing diagnoses. Further integration of both the NIC and NOC taxonomies, evidence-based nursing interventions, home care, client/family teaching, and multicultural and geriatric considerations enhance the book's relevance to today's nursing students and practitioners.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #346652 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 928 pages

About the Author
Betty J. Ackley, MSN, EdS, RN, Professor of Nursing, Jackson Community College, Jackson, Michigan; Staff Nurse, Stepdown Cardiac Care, W.A. Foote Memorial Hospital, Jackson, Michigan; and Gail B. Ladwig, MSP, CHTP, HNC, RN, Associate Professor of Nursing, Jackson Community College; Healing Touch Practitioner, Jackson, Michigan

Customer Reviews

Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: A guide to planning care
This book is a must have for every nurse! It is fabulous for many reasons. One, Ackley and Ladwig begin the text by a section, 112 pages long, of medical diagnosis accompanied by the most common nursing diagnosis that the pt would have. This is very helpful to get you thinking and to point out potential diagnosis to keep your eyes out for when treating a patient. Later the authors go into detail on each NANDA diagnosis. The definition, defining characteristics, related factors, and suggested outcomes are described. Next, interventions are discussed with the scientific rational in italics for very smooth and continuos reading. Interventions are subdivided into geriatrics, infants/children, as well as the average adult patient. Home care interventions are included along with client/family teaching tips - very helpful. To top it off, the authors included at the end of each diagnosis web sites for more information as well as further references. This book is compact, light weight, and includes a wealth of information helpful in any care plan. I highly recommend it.

Easy to use, easy to follow
I have several nursing diagnosis handbooks but this one takes the cake. I don't actually own it because I spent so much money on other books that were much less helpful. Luckily the learning lab at school owns it and I'm able to use it often. The feature that I like the most is that there is rationale given for most interventions. Rationale is always required in my care plans and many books don't provide it. It has saved me a huge amount of time because instead of searching through my med-surg books, I have the rationale right there. I also like that there are interventions specific to pediatric and geriatric patients; another feature that is lacking in other books. Lastly, the interventions that are provided are very thorough. I found that when using other books my professors would mark me off for not being specific enough. Once I began using this book I was right on target. In my opinion, if you can only afford to buy one book (and who wants more than one anyway), this is the one you should own.

Best value for the money
Of the five or so diagnosis handbooks that I have purchased, this one is the one that I reference the most when doing care plans and research - the least expensive too. For the money, this is the most helpful book that you will find.