Clinical Reasoning in the Health Professions »

Higgs, Joy, BSc, PhD (Univ of Sydney); Jones, Mark, BSc (Psych), PT

The contributors represent the specialties of physiotherapy, nursing, medical education, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Most are from hospitals and universities in Australia, the U.S., Canada, and the Netherlands. Institutions prominently represented include McGill Univ, Univ of South Australia, Univ of Limburg, La Trobe Univ, and UCSF.

Clinical reasoning is the foundation of professional clinical practice. Totally revised and updated, this book continues to provide the essential text on the theoretical basis of clinical reasoning in the health professions and examines strategies for assisting learners, scholars and clinicians develop their reasoning expertise.

• key chapters revised and updated
• nature of clinical reasoning sections have been expanded
• increase in emphasis on collaborative reasoning
• core model of clinical reasoning has been revised and updated

John L. VanRynen

This book attempts to describe and then present models for teaching clinical reasoning to a variety of multidisciplinary allied health students. The purpose is an attempt to describe the concept of clinical reasoning by way of presenting models, guidelines, and strategies to serve as developmental tools in attaining some measure of clinical competency in the allied health student. Targeted to allied health students in nursing, physical, and occupational therapy, this book attempts to convey how a student should think or respond in lieu of actual clinical experience. Unfortunately, it will be of little value to the beginning student. Although the authors do not imply that clinical reasoning is meant as a substitute for experience, teaching the concept of clinical reasoning is more a theory to be argued as opposed to a concrete model for its attainment. The book is divided into five sections describing the concept, scope, and approach to teaching clinical reasoning, concluding with a chapter looking toward future applications. The text is long, with few illustrations. Pertinent points are not highlighted or set apart from the body of the text in any appreciable manner. Although there are numerous references, some appear vague in relation to the text. In many instances, the authors seem to make arguments for the need for this book rather than making clear concise points. As a multicredentialed health care practitioner with many years of experience in acute care and educational settings, I believe this book will be of little value to the intended student audience. Clinical reasoning is a skill stemming from hands-on experience, not from a book that attempts to describe how one should thinkin a clinical situation. This book does not present any substantial clinical model I would find useful for my students.