Awarded second place in the 2022 AJN Book of the Year Awards in Advanced Practice Nursing


Praise for the First Edition:


"Developing a comprehensive differential diagnosis for a specific complaint is a daunting task even for experienced advanced practice nurses. This user-friendly clinical guide provides a strategy and standard format for working through this complex task. It is a wonderful tool for both students and new advanced practice nurses."–5 stars, Doody's


This one-of-a-kind resource is designed to help Advanced Practice Provider students master the process of conducting a quality differential diagnosis. It contains 95 symptom-based cases that empower readers to practice and hone their clinical skills. Consistently formatted, patient-based case scenarios begin with a common symptom and provide expert guidance to help students work though a diagnosis. Diagnostic reasoning for each clinical scenario is presented step-by-step and each step is explicitly linked to the next. They are now organized by body system and coordinate with related texts for easy reference.


Cases include focused patient history questions and responses, physical exam findings, a differential diagnosis table, a diagnostic examination table, and a summary analyzing the critical thinking process. Symptoms are presented via a systematic case study approach that encompasses chief complaint, past history, physical exam, case study, differential diagnosis, diagnostic exam, and clinical decision making. Boxes comparing clinical characteristics and differential diagnosis further help to illuminate the decision-making process.


New to the Third Edition:





Includes 23 completely new cases

Delivers 55 Test Bank Multiple Choice Questions for instructors to assign

Provides online access to 18 additional cases

Reorganized by body system for easy reference

Presented in two-color design for ease of use



Key Features:





Provides step-by-step approach to building sound clinical decision-making skills

Links each step to the next for utmost clarity

Guides APP students and novice practitioners in conducting a problem-focused history and examination

Presents cases systematically for ease of use

Includes unique differential diagnosis tables and diagnostic examination tables to clarify decision-making strategies



Illuminates decision making with boxes comparing clinical characteristics and differential diagnosis