Caring for the Vulnerable: Perspectives in Nursing Theory, Practice, and Research, 6th Edition Doody's Expert Review Review Questionnaire ISBN: 9781284304794 ISBN-10: 1284304795 Copyright: 2027 Edition: 6th Editor: de Chesnay, Mary, Anderson, Barbara A., Doody's Expert Review    Score: 93 Doody's Star Rating™ and Doody's Expert Review provide by Doody Enterprises, Inc. Reviewer: Autumn Cole,  DNP  (Winona State University) Description This book examines the ever-increasing health disparities that are present in the world. In this edition, the book includes new information on gun control, climate change, and how AI is used in healthcare. The text focuses on ensuring that healthcare professionals understand how to best care and advocate for the vulnerable populations they work with. Purpose This text focuses on what healthcare professionals, nurses in particular, can do to best understand, care for, and advocate for anyone who may be considered a vulnerable individual or in a vulnerable population. The book is founded on the principles of social justice and provides a wide variety of opportunities for education about vulnerable individuals and populations. Today, more than ever, those in healthcare need to understand and have capacity to relate to their clients' experiences, and this book not only expresses that but offers ways that they can root themselves in being an advocate for vulnerable individuals and populations. This sixth edition exceeds its desire to educate and advocate by ensuring that the audience has an improved understanding of what is necessary to care for others. Audience This book was written for undergraduate students, as the text takes time to help build a foundation of what it means to care for vulnerable populations and how in caring for individual and populations who may be considered vulnerable, healthcare professionals can then advocate for them. There are strong ties to nursing within this text; however, it could be used for any healthcare provider who wants to improve their understanding of caring for vulnerable populations. Many topics are covered within this text from developing population-based programming for vulnerable populations to research methods for vulnerable, equity-deserving groups. Both editors are experts on the topic of vulnerable populations with multiple publications on the topic and have also been editors of previous editions of this book. Features The book contains five units that focus on theories and concepts, research, practice and programs, teaching and learning, and policy. Within these units there are a variety of chapters that focus on a multitude of topics, some more specific than others, on facets of vulnerable populations. This text starts more broadly in the theories on concepts sections, and then within the research and practice and program sections the topics become more specific to populations that healthcare professionals may be caring for. It should be acknowledged that this text covers what it considers vulnerable populations. It could have included an incredible number of chapters focused on other populations; the editors do acknowledge this and encourage faculty who use this book to bring additional information on topics forward as they feel is applicable. Each chapter has objectives which help focus the learning; and most chapters have case studies, which inspire critical thinking. This book has tables and figures throughout the text, as well as two appendixes that focus on key terms and provide a resource list to find additional information regarding certain topics about vulnerable populations. This book also has a robust index, allowing the reader to quickly cross reference topics or find specific focus they are looking for. Assessment This book is a comprehensive text which offers an understanding about vulnerable populations, first offering theories and concepts and then diving in to specific populations and the challenges they may face, and how healthcare providers can improve their understanding of that population, care and advocate for them. This is an excellent text, offering chapters on populations which are frequently seen as clients in the healthcare setting. Changes in healthcare are often so rapid that the new edition is needed to best reflect improved information, as well as new concerns that need to be considered when caring for vulnerable populations, such as climate change and AI implications. This book is highly recommended for educators to use with their students to help build foundations and improve advocacy for vulnerable populations. Review Questionnaire Range Question Score 1-10 Are the author's objectives met? 10 1-10 Rate the worthiness of those objectives. 10 1-5 Is this written at an appropriate level? 5 1-5 Is there significant duplication? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) 5 1-5 Are there significant omissions? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) 5 1-5 Rate the authority of the authors. 5 1-5 Are there sufficient illustrations? N/A 1-5 Rate the pedagogic value of the illustrations. N/A 1-5 Rate the print quality of the illustrations. N/A 1-5 Are there sufficient references? 3 1-5 Rate the currency of the references. 5 1-5 Rate the pertinence of the references. 5 1-5 Rate the helpfulness of the index. 5 1-5 If important in this specialty, rate the physical appearance of the book N/A 1-10 Is this a worthwhile contribution to the field? 8 1-10 If this is a 2nd or later edition, is this new edition needed? 8 ©2026 Doody Enterprises, Inc.