Fundamentals of Nursing: Caring and Clinical Judgement

This fundamentals text was written to prepare students for nursing practice in the 21st century. It is a higher-level, nursing-diagnosis-driven text, taking as its foundational premise that in the new millennium nurses will no longer be able to rely on rote application of nursing knowledge; instead, they will need to apply critical thinking skills to an ever-changing landscape of client problems, regardless of the setting of care. The book also focuses on equipping nurses to understand the experience of illness, and to offer compassionate care in the fast-paced, high-tech healthcare environment of the 21st century.

Table of Contents:
SECTION 1 THE CONTEXT OF NURSING PRACTICE Unit 1 The Social Context of Nursing The Nursing Profession as a Context for Practice The Legal Context of Practice The Ethical Context of Practice The Cultural Context of Practice The Health Care Delivery System as a Context for Practice Unit 2 A Framework for Nursing Practice Developing a Framework for Practice Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgement Assessing the Client: History Taking Assessing the Client: Vital Signs Assessing the Client: Physical Examination Making a Nursing Diagnosis Planning for Intervention Evaluating Care Documenting Care Unit 3 The Tools of Practice The Nurse-Client Client Teaching Nursing Management Nursing Research Unit 4 The Well Client Across the Lifespan The Well Newborn, Infant, and Toddler The Well Child The Well Adolescent The Well Adult The Well Older Adult SECTION 2 NURSING CARE FOR FUNCTIONAL HEALTH Unit 5 Health Perception & Health Management Pattern Health Perception Health Maintenance: Lifestyle Management Health Maintenance: Medication Management Health Protection: Risk for Infection Health Protection: Risk for Injury Unit 6 Nutrition & Metabolic Pattern Normal Nutrition Nutritional Problems Fluid and Electrolyte Balance Skin Integrity and Wound Healing Body Temperature Unit 7 Elimination Pattern Bowel Elimination Urinary Elimination Unit 8 activity Exercise Pattern Hygiene Physical Mobility Disuse Syndrome Respiratory Function Cardiovascular Function Unit 9 Sleep-Rest Pattern Sleep and Rest Unit 10 Cognitive-Perceptual Pattern Pain Sensory/Perceptual Function Impaired Verbal Communication Confusion Unit 11 Self-Perception & Self-Concept Pattern Self-Concept Anxiety Vulnerability Unit 12 Role-Relationship Pattern Relationships Loss Unit 13 Sexuality- Reproductive Pattern Sexuality and Reproductive Functions Unit 14 Coping & Stress-Tolerance Pattern Coping & Stress Tolerance Family Coping The Caregiver Role Unit 15 Value-Belief Pattern Spirituality Unit 16 Special Client Populations The Client with Functional Limitations The Surgical Client The Emergency Client The Community as a Client The Homebound Client Appendices Glossary