High-level evaluation skills reflecting national standards and benchmarks are becoming increasingly important in our changing health care climate. This is the only nursing textbook to lay the foundation for APNs to achieve the highest possible competency in conducting systematic and in-depth evaluations of all aspects of health care. Comprehensive in scope, it distills current best practice information from numerous sources to create a thorough and reliable resource for APN and DNP graduates.

The text addresses both the theoretical basis of evaluation and its application as an integral part of contemporary practice. It provides an overview of evaluation science and critically examines the characteristics, sources, and quality of the nature of evidence. Several frameworks are described to provide the reader with different evaluation models, including those of economic evaluation. The text covers in detail the evaluation of organizations, systems, and standards for practice, including information systems and patient care technology, the redesign of health care in accordance with patient-family centered models, and the challenges of the current trend toward electronic medical records. Also addressed is the evaluation of populations and health care teams, including characteristics, risk factors, and determinants, as well as the emphasis on interdisciplinary collaborative health teams. Additionally, the text covers translating outcomes from evaluation into health care policy, and opportunities for advocacy and leadership among APNs.