Introduction

This textbook is an open educational resource based on the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) statewide nursing curriculum for the Health Alterations course (543-105), a second semester nursing course designed for students in the Practical Nursing program and the first year of the Associate Degree Nursing program. It is also aligned with the 2023 NCLEX-PN and NCLEX-RN test plans.

This textbook elaborates on the basic concepts of health and illness as presented in Open RN Nursing Fundamentals, 2e and builds on content presented in Open RN Nursing Skills, 2e and Open RN Nursing Pharmacology, 2e. It applies theories of nursing in the care of clients through the life span, utilizing problem-solving and critical thinking while studying common conditions affecting different body systems. Evidence-based nursing interventions are discussed while applying the nursing process. Concepts of leadership and management are also introduced. Interactive learning activities are provided in each chapter, including NCLEX Next Generation-style case studies and questions. Brief video overviews of each condition are provided in each chapter. These videos can also be accessed on the Health Alterations RN Recap Video Series playlist on the Open RN YouTube channel.

This e book is free with CC BY 4.0 licensing and can be viewed online or downloaded as a PDF or in other formats for offline use. It is part of the Open RN^© Nursing OER textbook series, originally funded by a $2.5 million Open Textbook Pilot grant from the Department of Education with sustainability funded by WisTech Open. This book was written by subject matter experts and is based on reliable scholarly research and evidence. It has been carefully peer reviewed to ensure its accuracy and quality. The content was developed without relying on large language models or AI tools, ensuring that the information is grounded in expert analysis and trusted sources. Read about other OER textbooks available on the Open RN and the WisTech Open websites.

The following video provides a quick overview of how to navigate the online version.