About the Book
This book is about
Empowering you to navigate the complexities of healthcare practice, “Introduction to Health Care” offers a solid foundation of knowledge and skills that help you succeed in your healthcare profession. The book emphasizes core competencies such as communication, infection control, and professionalism that are necessary for modern practice. With a focus on developing critical thinking skills, the text utilizes a five-step problem-solving model to guide readers through assessing a situation, considering alternatives, choosing an appropriate solution, evaluating results, and revising as necessary. The book will specifically guide you through:
- exploring various careers in healthcare and strategies for securing and maintaining them (Unit 1)
- examining the history of healthcare and current challenges in the field (Unit 2)
- discussing personal and workplace safety guidelines and challenges (Unit 3)
- delving into various communication methods used in healthcare settings (Unit 4)
- studying the structure and function of the human body (Unit 5)
This book is for
“Introduction to Health Care” is an essential guide for you embarking on college-level healthcare programs or exploring career options in healthcare. This full-color text provides a comprehensive introduction to the foundational concepts that are common across all healthcare professions. It serves as a solid base for further learning in specific professional courses. The topics covered are relevant to both direct patient care professions, such as nursing and dental assisting, and support roles, such as health information technology and pharmacy technician. The book’s goal is to offer a broad understanding of healthcare essentials and does not delve into skills and procedures specific to individual professions.
This book is unique because
The book was crafted with practical applicability to the healthcare industry at its core. Written by experienced faculty members who teach healthcare courses, it incorporates current industry needs in its content. Each chapter features a realistic case study that mirrors real-world situations you may encounter. Additionally, the content has undergone thorough review and verification by industry experts.
You are guided to adopt a healthcare professional’s mindset. A five-step problem-solving model is clearly explained to aid them in approaching new situations systematically. Each chapter includes an exercise called “Thinking it Through” that prompts you to apply the concepts presented to real-world scenarios. The chapter concludes with two application exercises and one problem-solving exercise that allow you to review and apply the chapter’s content.
This resource is a unique contribution to health education as content is informed by an inclusive approach that incorporates culturally-responsive techniques related to race/ethnicity, gender/sex/sexual orientation, body sizes/types, and ability/disability. Also, an assortment of authors with diverse roles across Washington state have contributed to this textbook. These diverse voices are focused on providing you with the foundational tools, techniques, and knowledge required to empower them to meet the challenges found within the ever-changing Washington health care environment.
Image Attribution for Cover Page
Photo by Dragos Gontariu on Unsplash
