Physical Examination and Diagnostic Skills for Nurses and Allied Health Professionals

This textbook aspires to provide a practical guide the reader can refer to and learn how to physically examine and differentiate a diagnosis. It aims to provide the “how to physically examine” and “how to put together physical features, signs and symptoms and findings from the physical examination” to differentially diagnose the patient’s problem. This book is for nurses and allied health professionals seeking to advance their practical physical examination and diagnostic skills such as advanced clinical practitioners whose roles and jobs require to detect subtle alterations found in the body and help diagnose patient’s problems correctly. In view of the Nursing  & Midwifery Council (2018) standards for nursing education and training (NMC 2018), schools of nursing prepare nurses undertake a comprehensive person-centred assessment before they make a diagnosis. This textbook discusses the consultation models used in practice, general examination skills used to examine the cardiovascular system, the respiratory, the gastrointestinal tract, the renal system and urinary tract, the nervous system, and the musculoskeletal system. It provides practical activities for students to apply their new knowledge and skill. At the end of each chapter, the authors provide scenarios related to the body system discussed in the chapter for students to work through. Each chapter discusses how the student applies the diagnostic skill of inspection, palpitation, percussion, and auscultation to the specific system to diagnose a problem. Students must have a fair understanding and knowledge of anatomy and physiology to benefit from this book and build on their learning. This textbook prepares clinicians to learn, develop and master the skill of observing and assessing the general symptoms and signs the patient may present with from each system and enable them to provide evidence-based diagnosis. This book sets the foundation to scaffold clinical assessment into diagnostic skills and knowledge and improve clinical competence.