Like the three editions that preceded it, this new edition targets markets in health care practice and educational settings. It addresses practicing nurses and nursing students, together with nursing leadership and nursing faculty. It speaks to nursing informatics specialists and—in a departure from earlier editions of this title—to all nurses, regardless of their specialty, extending its usefulness as a text as noted below. In recognition of the evolving electronic health information environment and of interdisciplinary health care teams, the book is designed to be of interest to members of other health care professions (quality officers, administrators, etc.) as well as health information technology professionals (in health care facilities and in industry).

The book will include numerous relevant case studies to illustrate the theories and principles discussed, making it an ideal candidate for use within nursing curricula (both undergraduate and graduate), as well as continuing education and staff development programs.

This book honors the format established by the first three editions by including a content array and questions to guide the reader. This 4th edition also includes numerous brief case studies that help to illustrate the theories and practices described within the various chapters. Most of these “mini-cases” are provided by members of professional nursing organizations that comprise the TIGER Initiative. These mini-cases are listed in the front matter and highlighted via formatting throughout the text.