Fundamentals of Nursing Unknown - 2008

From the publisher

Comprehensive, logically organized, and now easier to read, this market-leading fundamentals text provides you with up-to-date coverage of nursing principles, concepts, and skills. The book's nursing process framework, critical thinking emphasis, health promotion focus, and thorough coverage of acute and continuing care in all settings help prepare you for nursing practice today. This new edition addresses the increased focus on evidence-based practice and new guidelines for safe patient handling. Plus, a new, cutting-edge chapter on Surviving Cancer helps prepare you to address the unique health care needs of patients who have survived cancer, but still face the physical and emotional after-effects of the illness and its therapy.

• The 5-step nursing process provides a consistent framework for clinical chapters.
• UNIQUE! Critical Thinking in each clinical chapter includes Critical Thinking Models demonstrating the application of the nursing process and critical thinking.
• More than 60 skills are generously illustrated and provide clear, step-by-step instructions for practicing safe nursing care.
• Unexpected Outcomes and Related Interventions for skills alert you to possible problems and appropriate action.
• Procedural Guidelines boxes provide streamlined, step-by-step instructions for performing very basic skills.
• More than 20 care plans demonstrate the application of the 5-step nursing process to individual patient problems to help you understand how a plan is developed and how to evaluate care.
• Clients in the care plan extend to the critical thinking activities at the end of each chapter.
• Over 20 concept maps visually demonstrate planning care for clients with multiple nursing diagnoses.
• Planning sections include sections on Goals and Outcomes, Setting Priorities, and Collaborative Care to help you plan and prioritize comprehensive client care.
• Implementation sections include health promotion, acute care, and continuing care to prepare you for all levels of care in all settings.
• UNIQUE! Safety Alerts provide information and techniques to ensure client and nurse safety based on The Joint Commission's list of National Patient Safety Goals.
• Cultural Aspect of Care boxes summarize cultural considerations related to the chapter topic and provide practical guidelines for how to meet clients' cultural needs and preferences.
• Client Teaching boxes help you plan effective teaching by first identifying outcomes, then developing strategies on how to teach, and, finally, implementing measures to evaluate learning.
• Focus on Older Adult boxes highlight key aspects of nursing assessment and care for this population.
• Key concepts neatly summarize the most important content for each chapter to help you review and evaluate learning.

• UNIQUE! An ESL/Readability specialist has edited each chapter to streamline the text and improve readability.
• UNIQUE! Companion CD, included with the text, provides you with interactive learning activities, searchable audio glossary, Spanish/English audio glossary, Butterfield's Fluids & Electrolytes Tutorial, test-taking skills, and NCLEX(R) exam-style review questions.
• UNIQUE! Evidence Based Practice boxes summarize the results of a research study and describe the difference the study has made in nursing practice.
• Evidence-Based Practice chapter helps you understand how nursing research serves as the basis for determining best practice, and the critical importance of this continually evolving dynamic.
• UNIQUE! Surviving Cancer chapter prepares you to address the unique health care needs of patients who have survived cancer, but still face the physical and emotional after-effects of the illness and its therapy.
• NCLEX(R) examination-style review questions for each chapter include new alternate-item format questions, as well as rationales for all answer choices.
• Delegation coverage is enhanced, noting which skills can and cannot be delegated, and indicating related tasks that should be delegated. To help you apply this information, many chapters incorporate delegation considerations into the chapter case study and address them in the critical thinking and NCLEX(R) exam-style review questions.
• Nursing Assessment Questions boxes help you learn to effectively phrase questions for clients.
• Expanded coverage of informatics familiarizes you with the use of information technology in documenting care and researching best practices.
• UNIQUE! Critical Thinking in Practice sections at the end of each chapter provide questions that require you to apply knowledge, often to the case study detailed in the chapter's care plan.
• New Safe Patient Handling Guidelines are included in the Safety chapter.
• NOC outcomes, as well as NIC interventions, are incorporated in care plans to reflect the standard used by institutions nationwide.
• Key terms are conveniently placed at the beginning of each chapter and include page references where definitions can be found.
• The companion Evolve website offers free downloadable skills video clips and audio chapter summaries.