When seeking to identify a patient’s health condition, advanced practice nurses can use a diverse selection of diagnostic tests and assessment tools to help in understanding a patient’s condition. In turn, beginning with a differential diagnosis supports the process of further applying information to narrow the possibilities of what the condition may be and working to arrive at the most accurate diagnosis for planning treatment.  
For this Case Study Assignment, you will determine the physical exams and diagnostic tests that would be most appropriate for gaining information and better understanding of your patient’s condition. Then, based on your analysis, you will formulate a differential diagnosis for the patient. 
RESOURCES

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources. 
WEEKLY RESOURCES
To prepare:
By Day 1 of this week, your Instructor will assign a patient profile for this Assignment. Note: Please see the Course Announcements section of the classroom for your patient profile Assignment. 
Review this week’s Learning Resources. 
Review the details of the patient case study. 
Consider what physical exams and diagnostic tests would be most appropriate to gather more information about the patient’s condition. 
Reflect on how the results would be used to make a diagnosis. 
Identify three to five (3–5) possible conditions that may be considered in a differential diagnosis for the patient. 
Assignment: Diagnostic Reasoning 
Include the following: 
Identify the patient’s chief complaint. 
Identify what physical exams and diagnostic tests would be most appropriate to gather more information about the patient’s condition. Be specific and explain your reasoning. 
Explain how the results would be used to make a diagnosis. 
Identify three to five (3–5) possible conditions that may be considered in a differential diagnosis for the patient. Explain your thinking. 
BY DAY 7 OF WEEK 3
Submit your Assignment. 
SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Before submitting your final assignment, you can check your draft for authenticity. To check your draft, access the Turnitin Drafts from the Start Here area. 
1.To submit your completed assignment, save your Assignment as WK3Assgn1_LastName_FirstInitial
2.Then, click on Start Assignment near the top of the page.
3.Next, click on Upload File and select Submit Assignment for review.

LEARNING RESOURCES
Lecturio Resources
Week 3 Videos 
4.White Blood Cell (WBC) Count (Nursing) (07:53) 
5.Review of Critical WBC Values (Nursing) (05:16) 
6.Hemoglobin (Hg) (02:37) 
7.Hematocrit (HCT) and Hydration Status (08:32) 
8.Platelet Count: Thrombocytopenia vs. Thromocytosis (09:06) 
9.RBC Count: Polycythemia vs. Anemia (05:09) 
10.Macrocytic Anemias Introduction and Etiology (02:56) 
11.Macrocystic Anemias: Clinical Pathology (07:26) 
12.Interpreting Urine Culture and Sensitivity Tests (07:04) 
13.Interpreting Urine Dipstick Tests (04:07) 
14.Central Role of Sodium Electrolyte Balance (01:28) 
15.Potassium—Electrolyte Balance (03:23) 
16.Chloride—Electrolyte Balance (01:21) 
17.Acid-Base Balance (02:43) 
18.Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid Base Balance in a Nutshell (01:33) 
Required Readings
Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2023). Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach (10th ed.). Elsevier Mosby. 
oChapter 3, “Examination Techniques and Equipment” 
This chapter explains the physical examination techniques of inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation. This chapter also explores special issues and equipment relevant to the physical exam process. 
Sullivan, D. D. (2019). Guide to clinical documentation (3rd ed.). F. A. Davis Company. 
oChapter 2, “The Comprehensive History and Physical Exam”  
i-Human Patients. (2023). i-Human Patients case player student manual Download i-Human Patients case player student manual. i-Human Patients by Kaplan. (PDF)

Required Media
Walden University, LLC. (2024). Differential diagnosis [Video]. Walden University Canvas. https://waldenu.instructure.com/

Supplemental Resources 
Note: These readings are intended to serve as supplementary to the Lecturio content and required textbook readings provided in this course. Please refer/review these supplementary resources should you need help in reinforcing concepts and in preparation for completing this week’s Assessments. 
Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019). Student checklist: Health history guide Download Student checklist: Health history guide. In Seidel’s guide to physical examination (9th ed.). Elsevier Mosby.
Credit Line: Seidel’s Guide to Physical Examination, 9th Edition by Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. Copyright 2019 by Elsevier Health Sciences. Reprinted by permission of Elsevier Health Sciences via the Copyright Clearance Center. 
Dains, J. E., Baumann, L. C., & Scheibel, P. (2019). Advanced health assessment and clinical diagnosis in primary care (6th ed.). Elsevier Mosby.
Credit Line: Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Diagnosis in Primary Care, 6th Edition by Dains, J. E., Baumann, L. C., & Scheibel, P. Copyright 2019 by Mosby. Reprinted by permission of Mosby via the Copyright Clearance Center. 
oChapter 1, “Clinical Reasoning, Evidence-Based Practice, and Symptom Analysis Download Clinical Reasoning, Evidence-Based Practice, and Symptom Analysis” 
This chapter introduces the diagnostic process, which includes performing an analysis of the symptoms and then formulating and testing a hypothesis. The authors discuss how becoming an expert clinician takes time and practice in developing clinical judgment. 
Nyante, S. J., Benefield, T. S., Kuzmiak, C. M., Earnhardt, K., Pritchard, M., & Henderson, L. M. (2021). Population‐level impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on breast cancer screening and diagnostic proceduresLinks to an external site.. Cancer, 127(12), 2111–2121. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.33460