Laboratory Tests and Diagnostic Procedures with Nursing Diagnoses

For courses in medical-surgical nursing, and lab and diagnosis/diagnostic tests.

A complete nurse’s guide to applying lab results and diagnoses to patient care
Laboratory Tests and Diagnostic Procedures with Nursing Diagnoses teaches students how to use data from lab tests and diagnostic procedures to plan nursing care, while emphasizing the human side of testing. Guided by case studies and NCLEX^®-style questions, students can practice applying knowledge of tests and diagnoses to varied clinical situations. The 9th edition is useful as both a theory text and a quick reference guide. It reflects new evidence¿-based practice standards and introduces new and expanded uses for tests, with a special focus on genetic and rapid tests.

Jane V. Corbett, RN, EdD, is a Professor Emerita and former chair of the Adult Health Department in the School of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of San Francisco. She taught undergraduate and graduate nursing students for thirty-five years at USF.

Dr. Corbett has also worked in hospitals, most notably as the head nurse of intensive care at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Miami, FL. She specializes in medical-surgical nursing, with a special emphasis on the role of the nurse in using laboratory tests to plan nursing care. Her combined experience in the field and classroom has led to many published books and articles.

In 2007, the USF School of Nursing and Health Professions began honoring outstanding faculty with the “Jane Vincent Corbett Spirit of Collegiality Award.” In 2011, the USF Alumni Association awarded Dr. Corbett the Professional Award for Lifetime Achievements. In 2015, she was appointed to the expert clinical advisory panel for NANDA International.

Dr. Corbett is currently a self-employed writer, workshop leader, consultant, and expert witness. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Indiana University; a master’s degree in nursing from the University of California, San Francisco; and a doctorate in education from the University of San Francisco.


Angela D. Banks, RN, PhD, is an associate professor and former chair of the Baccalaureate Nursing Department in the School of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of San Francisco. She teaches pharmacology, pathophysiology, and pharmacokinetics to undergraduate nursing students.

Dr. Banks has been a registered nurse for over thirty years and, in the last twenty years, has worked in the cardiovascular intensive care unit and the emergency room. Her program of research focuses on health disparities, women’s health, and African Americans with cardiovascular disease. She is passionate about working with homeless and disenfranchised populations in North America and abroad.

From 2011 to 2012, Dr. Banks was a Fulbright Scholar at the Jordan University of Science and Technology. She has spoken nationally and internationally on health-seeking behavior among African Americans with heart disease and has disseminated research findings in peer-reviewed nursing and medical journals. Dr. Banks is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society, the American Heart Association, and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Dr. Banks holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago; a master’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles; and a PhD from the University of California, San Francisco.

PART I: LABORATORY TESTS
1. Using Laboratory Data
2. Hematology Tests and Related Tests
3. Routine Urinalysis and Other Urine Tests
4. Renal Function Tests
5. Four Commonly Measured Electrolytes
6. Arterial Blood Gases and Related Tests
7. Three Less Commonly Measured Electrolytes and Vitamin D
8. Tests to Measure the Metabolism of Glucose and Other Sugars
9. Tests to Measure Lipid Metabolism and Other Cardiac Risk Factors
10. Tests Related to Serum Protein Levels, Tumor Markers, and Cancer Genomics
11. Tests to Measure the Metabolism of Bilirubin
12. Tests to Measure Enzymes and Cardiac Markers
13. Coagulation Tests and Tests to Detect Occult Blood
14. Serologic Tests: Immunohematology and Immunology
15. Endocrine Tests
16. Cultures and Rapid Tests for Infections
17. Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Toxicology Screens
18. Tests Performed in Pregnancy and the Newborn Period

PART II: CASE STUDIES
19. Practice Interpretation of Laboratory Data

PART III: DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES
20. Diagnostic Radiologic Tests
21. Body Scans: CT, DXA, MRI, PET, and SPECT
22. Nuclear Scans: Diagnostic Tests with Radionuclides or Radioisotopes
23. Diagnostic Ultrasonography
24. Common Noninvasive Diagnostic Tests
25. Common Invasive Tests
26. Stress Tests, Cardiac Catheterizations, Electrophysiologic Studies, and Syncope Tests
27. Endoscopic Procedures
28. Diagnostic Procedures Related to Childbearing Years

Appendices
A. Reference Values for Newborns and Children Compared with Adult Values
B. Possible Alterations in Reference Values for Older Adults
C. Altered Reference Values for Common Laboratory Tests in Normal Pregnancies
D. Units of Measure