Customer Reviews

Handbook of Nursing Diagnosis

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This book and it's larger ( more complete) version are just a big frustrating mess! The organization is lacking. I agree with the other reviewers, THIS IS NOT USER FRIENDLY. It is very time consuming to use these books. The spiral bound is lacking in info and the larger text is just confusing--- too many references to other places in the book without help given to find these places. Too much work! My school picked Carpenito as well, not sure why!~ Betty Ackley is much more helpful.

The only reason this book is a four star and not a five is that you do have to learn to use it. It is especially beneficial when dealing with collaborative problems. The larger book was helpful in understanding the whole process of nursing diagnosis and what it is meant to convey; the handbook will suffice for most nursing care plans, rationale tends to be a student pre-occupation. The organization is alphabetic, very clear for me once you know the few nursing diagnoses that are NANDA approved. Carpenito gives clear assessment data that must be present to support the diagnosis and interventions that make sense to select from as appropriate to your patient. I have used the book since the 7th edition and own the eighth and ninth. The tenth is available and I look forward to seeing the changes.

I only gave this book one star because there isn't a ZERO star rating. This book is horribly unorganized. If there is a pattern to how different pathologies are listed in this book, I sure as heck didn't figure it out.

This book's "pocket size" infers that it is to be used as a handy reference, the extra time it takes to actually FIND anything in this book is not worth the effort of lugging it around. Everyone I know who is familiar with this book has agreed with me that this book is horribly "not user friendly". I only got it because my nursing school allowed ONLY this book to be used during clinicals.

SHOP AROUND! Find something better.

If I need to write a care plan, this is NOT the book to get. I don't care for its interventions, and no rationales are provided. There are better books out there (check out the Sparks & Taylor book which is 5-star rated).

However, this author knows nursing diagnoses inside and out, and the true value of this book are in the Author's Notes where she shares her insights on what each diagnosis really means, and why it is different from similar NANDAs. I picked up a used edition just for the Author's Notes, and her insights regarding non-NANDA diagnoses and other esoteric stuff.

This book also presents Defining Characteristics very clearly, so you know what major characteristic must be present to justify the dx, and what minor characteristics are often present.

This pocket-sized book with spiral binding is easy to pick up and use. I would not purchase the larger, full-blown version--less easy to use, more worthless verbiage, and has essentially the same Author's Notes as the smaller version.

Bottom line: If you need one or two books to help you write care plans for nursing school, don't get either version of this book. There are better ones available. If you want a third book to help you delve deeper into the meanings of nursing diagnoses, go with the pocket-sized version.

This book REALLY should receive some recognition---for being probably the WORST nursing diagnosis book I have ever seen!As stated above,this book is REQUIRED by Excelsior College for the CPNE exam----much to the bewilderment and anguish of the Excelsior students who have to work with it.Is it possible that Excelsior is completely unaware that there are MANY better books of this kind out there?I think it would be virtually impossible to find one that was more confusing,less helpful and less user friendly.It seems like a cruel joke that this book is imposed on Excelsior students when superior books which would better meet students needs are available.Ms. Carpenito should do everyone a favor and stop writing these books---many students(myself included) would be eternally grateful!!!

The only GOOD thing about this is that its small. Its totally confusing to follow AND there isnt any rationals. Make sure you get something with rationals. Makes charting easier

If Excelsior College didn't require this for the CPNE, I would take it and throw it off the highest bridge I could find. Horribly confusing, doesn't make sense, and I cannot fathom how this would help your clinical practice. The only redeeming feature is that Excelsior does not let you write in this, so I will have a brand new copy of this for sale to some poor nursing student. I don't mean to sound harsh, but this book isn't easy to use, it is confusing, and contradicts itself.

This book was required for the Excelsior College CPNE. Check to see what editions are currently required. I found it helpful.

Gave it 4 stars, because they are the older nandas, but this is super easy to use...I bought enough for all my classmates and we all succeeded!!!

This reference is absolutely wonderful. If you ever get stuck doing care plans, this book is a must. I have found so many new ways to help my clients. I mean I know how to help them, but I have always had trouble with care planning. This reference makes it a piece of cake!