"This much-needed volume brings to the clinician or student some of the best critical-minded analysis by some of the most insightful thinkers about psychiatric diagnosis today. The thought-provoking questions these essays raise, and the multifaceted and provocative answers they provide, cultivate sensitivity to the nuances of diagnostic assessment that often makes the difference between clinical success and failure." - Jerome C. Wakefield, PhD, DSW, New York University Silver School of Social Work, New York This transformative resource challenges social workers and mental health professionals to rethink their approaches to assessment and diagnosis from the ground up. Among the book’s unique features are its use of diverse lenses to examine a common case and its illustration of how multiple perspectives can be integrated for a richly textured portrait of the individual in context. Equally crucial is the book’s commitment to professional development, from exercises to improve case conceptualization to strategies for teaching and learning. Topics include: The DSM-5 definition of mental disorder: critique and alternatives. Making assessment decisions: macro, mezzo, and micro perspectives. Neuroscience, resilience, and the embodiment of “mental” disorder. Narrative, psychodynamic, and cultural conceptualizations of disorder. Person-centered and contextualized diagnosis in mental health. Meeting the challenge of teaching integrated assessment. Critical Thinking in Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis has much to offer professionals, researchers, and educators in the fields of social work and mental health. .

Develop the critical thinking and reasoning skills you need to make sound clinical judgments! Alfaro-LeFevre's Critical Thinking, Clinical Reasoning, and Clinical Judgment: A Practical Approach, 7th Edition brings these concepts to life through engaging text, diverse learning activities, and real-life examples. Easy-to-understand language and a "how-to" approach equip you to become a sensible, resilient critical thinker with the clinical reasoning skills you need to think think through complex issues and make sound clinical decisions. This edition emphasizes readiness for clinical practice and the Next Generation NCLEX exam, with a focus on systems thinking, interprofessional practice, nursing skills for the 21st century, and Quality and Safety for Nursing Education (QSEN) competencies. Clear, straightforward approach and motivational writing style provides vivid examples, memorable anecdotes, and real-life case scenarios to make content come alive. Focus on application ("how to") with supporting rationales (theory) makes difficult concepts easy to learn. Critical Thinking Indicators feature evidence-based descriptions of behaviors that foster critical thinking in nursing practice. Highlighted features and sections that promote deep learning include: This Chapter at a Glance, Learning Outcomes, Key Concepts, Guiding Principle boxes, Critical Moments boxes, Other Perspectives features, Think-Pair-Share activities, H.M.O. (Help Me Out) cartoons, real-life clinical scenarios, Key Points, Critical Thinking Exercises, and more! Cultural, spiritual, and lifespan content explores the nurse’s role in hospitals, long-term care settings, and entire communities, presenting a broad approach to critical thinking. Inclusion of ethics- and standards-based professional practice reflects the increased demand for accountability in today’s professional climate. Timely coverage of the latest in nursing education and critical thinking includes concept-based learning; QSEN and IOM standards; problem-focused versus outcome-focused thinking; prioritization and delegation; developing a culture of safe, healthy work environments; expanding roles related to diagnosis and management; improving grades and passing tests the first time; NCLEX exam preparation; ensuring that documentation reflects critical thinking; communication and interpersonal skills; strategies for common workplace challenges; and more.

What's behind every healed patient? Critical thinking! And what book best equips you to master the critical thinking skills needed for success on the NCLEX examination and in professional nursing practice? Alfaro's Critical Thinking, Clinical Reasoning, and Clinical Judgment, 6th Edition! With a motivational style and insightful "how-to" approach, this unique textbook draws upon real-life scenarios and evidence-based strategies as it guides you in learning to think critically in clinically meaningful ways. The new edition features a more streamlined, full-color design, and expanded coverage on some of key trends, including: interdisciplinary care teams, competency-based education, the IOM’s Leading Health Indicators, legal considerations, the effects of the Affordable Care Act, and much more. If you want to truly succeed in nursing practice today and be thinking-oriented rather than task-oriented, then look no further than this one-of-a-kind textbook. Simple approach and motivational writing style include vivid examples, memorable anecdotes, and real case scenarios to make content come alive. Practical strategies to promote critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and clinical judgment are incorporated along with supporting evidence as to why the strategies work. Focus on application (or "how to") and inclusion of supporting rationales (theory) make difficult concepts easy to learn. Critical thinking indicators feature evidence-based descriptions from the author of behaviors that promote critical thinking in nursing practice. Highlighted features and sections — such as Chapter at a Glance, Pre-Chapter Self-Tests, Guiding Principles, Critical Moments, Other Perspectives, Think-Pair-Share, Help Me Out cartoons, real-life clinical scenarios, key points, critical thinking exercises, and more — promote independent learning. UNIQUE! Brain-based learning principles utilize strategies that challenge the mind and are incorporated throughout the text. Timely coverage includes topical issues, such as: problem-focused versus outcome-focused thinking, prioritizing, developing a culture of safety, healthy work environments, expanding roles related to diagnosis and management, applying delegation principles, evidence-based practice, improving grades and passing tests the first time, NCLEX preparation, ensuring documentation reflects critical thinking, communication and interpersonal skills, strategies for common workplace challenges, and more. Inclusion of ethics- and standards-based professional practice reflects today’s professional climate which demands increasing accountability. Incorporation of cultural, spiritual, and lifespan content along with the nurse’s role in hospitals, communities, and long-term care settings presents a broad approach to critical thinking. Discussion of Tanner and Benner’s most recent work on what the research says about critical thinking and clinical judgment in nursing keeps readers up to date on the evidence-based side of practice. Coverage of IOM, QSEN, and other patient safety standards also keeps readers up to date on safe and effective nursing care.

Praise for Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice, Third Edition "Eileen Gambrill is unparalleled in her ability to describe common flaws and biases in clinical decision making. The result in this revised edition is a steadfast call for change that also acknowledges the demands of practice. A must-read for clinicians and researchers alike." —Elizabeth K. Anthony, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Arizona State University "This Third Edition builds upon the impressive strengths of Gambrill's prior treatments of the topic to support the notion that critical thinking is a teachable skill and one essential for contemporary practice in the human services. This book should be the default authority on the topic of critical thinking for human service professionals and would be an excellent textbook." —Bruce A. Thyer, PhD, LCSW, Professor and former Dean, Florida State University College of Social Work "I was skeptical about how Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice could be improved, but Eileen Gambrill has succeeded! Her articulation of critical thinking skills for clinical decisions ultimately will benefit the people we serve." —Joanne Yaffe, PhD, ACSW, Associate Professor of Social Work and Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Utah A balanced and illustrative guide to incorporating critical-thinking values, knowledge, and skills into clinical education and practice Now in a third edition, Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice is written for helping professionals who want to think more clearly about the decisions they make and the context in which they make them. It is a practical volume for clinicians who would like to expand their knowledge of common pitfalls and fallacies in clinical reasoning. As in earlier editions, this Third Edition draws on research related to problem solving and decision making, illustrating the relevance of research findings to everyday clinical practice and policy. Revised throughout, the new edition includes discussion of: The influence of pharmaceutical companies on the helping professions, including disease mongering—the creation of bogus risks, problems, and needless worries Different kinds of propaganda in the helping professions that compromise informed consent Additional coverage of classification, pathology, reliance on authority, and hazards in data collection The development of decision aids of value to both professionals and clients The relative contribution of specific interventions compared to nonspecific factors to positive outcome Factors related to decision making in multidisciplinary teams New developments regarding intuitive and analytic reasoning The pragmatic theory of fallacies Designed to enhance the quality of services offered to clients, Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice, Third Edition is filled with insightful examples, useful lists, websites, and guidelines, presenting an essential resource for all helping professionals and students in the helping professions.

Evidence-Based Practice: Logic and Critical Thinking in Medicine provides easy access to fundamental principles, quickly assimilated techniques, and proven, rigorous application that demonstrates how logic and critical thinking are applied to the medical thinking process. This marriage allows health professionals to understand the critical use of evidence logically and in a structured, methodological way to make medical decisions. Such uses of evidence are the essence of Evidence-Based Practice as reflected in the spirit of this book. In order to ensure better patient outcomes, physicians have to learn how rational, practical uses of evidence allow organized decision-making in practice and research. In a textbook format, Evidence-Based Practice: Logic and Critical Thinking in Medicine offers the reader principles and techniques in Part One. Part Two shows the application of logic and critical thinking to clinical problem solving in practice, medical research, and public health.

Develop the critical thinking skills you need for success in today's challenging healthcare setting with Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment: A Practical Approach to Outcome-Focused Thinking, 4th Edition! This book's insightful and motivational style makes the concept of critical thinking come alive. Learning difficult concepts is easy with the book's "how-to" approach that provides supporting rationales to help you understand why and how to make decisions. User-friendly and motivational style with vivid examples, anecdotes, and real case scenarios brings content to life. Helps you work smarter - not harder - by providing workplace strategies for managing time, dealing with conflict, and giving bad news. Incorporates practical strategies to promote critical thinking with evidence showing why and how the strategies apply to real life. Emphasizes the importance of ethics- and standards-based professional practice in a world of increasing accountability to keep both you and your patients safe. Incorporates cultural, spiritual, and lifespan content throughout and addresses nurses' roles in hospitals, communities, and long-term care settings for a balanced, comprehensive look at critical thinking. Pre-Chapter Self-Tests help you focus on learning outcomes by identifying your learning needs. Independent learning is easy with user-friendly features such as Key Points, Critical Thinking Exercises, unique HMO ("Help Me Out") cartoons, and much more. New illustrations clarify key concepts and reflect the latest developments in critical thinking. UNIQUE! Applies brain-based learning principles through the use of strategies that challenge the mind to help you gain a better understanding of the content. A wealth of new content, including problem-focused versus outcome-focused thinking, prioritization, novice and expert thinking, evidence-based practice, and more, provides you with the latest information in the field. UNIQUE! Other Perspectives and Critical Moments vignettes with giraffe and elephant icons make learning this important information fun and engaging. Covers the Institute of Medicine's competencies and delegation strategies based on the ANA's Principles for Delegation. NCLEX(R) examination-style review section includes multiple-choice questions to helps you prepare for board exams.

NEW! Updated content throughout reflects the most current clinical practice, including nationally accepted clinical treatment guidelines. NEW! Enhanced organization features reorganized and renumbered clinical situations for easier navigation and improved clarity. NEW! Evaluation section (Section 7), now provided for students, helps reinforce skills developed throughout the book. NEW! In-text cues to the author’s critical thinking model provide references to the research-based critical thinking model inside the front cover. NEW! Icons have been streamlined for greater consistency, clarity, and intuitiveness.