Introduction to Health Care

INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH CARE, Fourth Edition, provides an easy-to-read introduction to the foundational skills necessary for a range of health care professions. This trusted text offers a comprehensive, yet highly accessible survey of both soft skills and basic clinical skills for those entering health care training programs or considering a career in health care. To prepare you for the realities of modern practice, the authors emphasize core competencies required by all health care professions, including communication, infection control, and professionalism. The text features a strong focus on developing critical thinking skills ("thinking like a health care professional") through a five-step problem-solving model that includes assessing a situation, considering alternatives, choosing an appropriate alternative, evaluating the results, and revising as needed. This unique approach makes INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH CARE, Fourth Edition, an ideal resource to help you transition from simple memorization to effective application of professional skills in a real-world setting.

Dakota Mitchell, R.N., M.S.N., M.B.A., earned her master of science degree in nursing from the University of California, San Francisco, and a master of business administration degree from the University of Santa Clara. The combination of these advanced degrees provides a valuable perspective for understanding and functioning within the rapidly evolving world of health care today. Dakota has more than 35 years of experience in health care, including education, management, and curriculum consultation. In addition to devoting many years to classroom and clinical teaching, she has developed and implemented innovative health care programs at both the vocational and associate degree levels. Dakota has written and/or served as a content expert on numerous health care instructional projects for Cengage Learning.

Lee Haroun, M.A., M.B.A., Ed.D., has over 45 years of experience in education as a teacher, administrator, and writer. She has worked with hundreds of health care students and has a special interest in helping them become successful professionals. Her work has included coordinating curriculum development for a variety of programs, including occupational therapy assistant, patient care technician, health information technician, and insurance coder. In addition, she has focused on helping health care instructors succeed, and her doctoral dissertation explored the transition of health care professionals from the field to the classroom. Lee is the author of CAREER DEVELOPMENT FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS (Elsevier Science), coauthor of OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY FIELDWORK SURVIVAL GUIDE with Bonnie Napier-Tibere (F.A. Davis), coauthor of TEACHING IDEAS AND CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES FOR HEALTH CARE with Susan Royce (Cengage Learning), and technical writer for ESSENTIALS OF HEALTH & WELLNESS by James Robinson and Deborah McCormick (Cengage Learning). She also developed video content and scripts for Delmar's CAREER SUCCESS FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS DVD Series, content for health care career exploration software published by Cengage Learning, and numerous instructional materials for a variety of publishers.