Patient-Focused Assessment: the Art and Science of Clinical Data Gathering

Patient-Focused Assessment: The Art and Science of Clinical Data Gathering, First Edition, is an interdisciplinary text that will appeal to students and providers in all health care professions. Since patient assessment is critical to all providers of patient care, the text focuses on the patient, rather than a specific health care discipline. Patient assessment is divided into 4 levels based on the provider’s competency, the quantity of content (discipline-specific knowledge), the complexity of the assessment techniques and procedures, and the condition of the patient. The text focuses on adult patients but also addresses pediatric, geriatric, pregnant, and hospitalized patients. An excellent resource for students in health care, the text is also an invaluable reference for practicing health care providers.

Teaching and Learning Experience

This text presents a systematic, patient-centered approach to patient assessment. It provides:

• An interdisciplinary approach: The text focuses on the patient rather than a specific health care discipline, making it a valuable resource across all health care professions.
• Clear structure and organization: Logical organization and consistent chapter structure makes the text accessible, readable, and easy to navigate.
• Clinical examples and case studies: Realistic examples and scenarios stimulate critical thinking and expose readers to real professional situations.
• Effective learning resources: Proven pedagogical features help readers get the most out of the text with helpful hints, professional insight, and review tools.

Thom J. Mansen graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. He went on to earn his MS degree from the University of Utah in cardiovascular nursing as a clinical specialist and worked as a clinical specialist in the MICU at University of Utah Hospital. He earned his PhD in nursing from the University of Texas at Austin with an emphasis in nursing education administration. Dr. Mansen has been a nursing educator for 35 years, having taught at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Hope College/Calvin College in Holland/Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the College of Nursing, University of Utah. His primary classroom teaching responsibilities have been physical assessment, leadership/management (undergraduate/graduate), pathophysiology, medical-surgical nursing; and also clinical supervision of medical―surgical nursing students. He was also Program Director (Acting) and Baccalaureate Curriculum Coordinator.

Dr. Mansen has been actively involved in developing computer and video methods and techniques for teaching and assessing student’s physical assessment skills. He developed the Head to Toe video disk with Dr. Sandra Haak, and later worked for Elsevier/Mosby in developing their Health Assessment Online. He also authored chapters for three editions of McCance & Huether’s Pathophysiology textbook and Understanding Pathophysiology. Dr. Mansen has made international presentations at the first, second, and third Hacettepe University School of Nursing’s International Nursing Management Conferences in Turkey. In 1996 he was awarded a Cockcroft Nursing Leadership Development Fellowship from the University of South Carolina, Charleston.

Dr. Mansen has also been active in community and nursing organizations. He was elected to the Gamma Rho (University of Utah) Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau and served as its president from 1989 to 1991. He is also active in the American/Utah Nurses Association and served as president of UNA from 1998 to 2001. He is active in musical activities; he plays piano and organ and has sung with the Oratorio Society of Utah and Utah Opera productions.