Known for its user-friendly, easy-to-understand coverage of complex concepts, this outstanding textbook provides all the information you need to provide competent nursing care to women and newborns. Step-by-step instructions for assessments and interventions help you quickly master key skills and te...chniques. The importance of understanding family, culture, client teaching, communication, and clinical decision making is emphasized throughout. This edition also features a new title that reflects its expanded coverage of women's health issues. More than 30 Nursing Care Plans with critical thinking questions help you to apply the nursing process to clinical situations and provide models for effective client and family care. UNIQUE! Communication Cues provide guidance for interpreting client and family statements and behaviors. UNIQUE! Therapeutic Communication boxes illustrate actual client and family dialogues that can be used in clinical practice. Procedures provide clear instructions for performing common maternity skills and procedures, with rationales for each step. Critical Thinking Exercises present realistic clinical situations and challenge you to prioritize and think critically. Check Your Reading questions at the end of each section help you assess your mastery of key content. Drug Guides outline important indications, adverse reactions, and nursing considerations for the most commonly used medications. UNIQUE! Want to Know Boxes offer extensive client education guidelines for maternity and women's health settings. A new chapter on Preventive Care for Women emphasizes health promotion and health maintenance throughout the childbearing years and beyond, including the latest health screening recommendations. Evidence-based practice boxes reinforce the importance of integrating research-based practice guidelines into practice. Updated coverage includes current research on hot topics in today's practice, including elective inductions, cesarean deliveries, and the late preterm infant. Integrated electronic features enhance learning with interactive multimedia content such as video clips and animations.