Advanced Assessment

Advanced Assessment, 5th Edition, written by Mary Jo Goolsby and Laurie Grubbs, is a nursing textbook centered on health assessment and differential diagnosis formulation. Published by F.A. Davis, this volume offers systematic clinical guidance for practitioners gathering patient health data and analyzing physical examination findings.

Part I details clinical assessment principles, clinical decision-making processes, and methods for integrating diagnostic laboratory studies and imaging modalities directly into patient evaluation protocols. Building upon these principles, Part II organizes clinical assessment and diagnostic evaluation using a body system and regional approach. Across these system-based chapters, the text addresses 170 specific medical conditions and presenting symptoms encountered across the lifespan.

To support diagnostic evaluations in educational programs and clinical practice environments, the volume incorporates practical diagnosis algorithm decision trees. These decision trees outline structured step-by-step diagnostic pathways to assist nurses when evaluating complex patient presentations, such as chronic sore throat and chronic insomnia.