Continually praised for its reader-friendly coverage of complex topics, this trusted resource provides fundamental, step-by-step guidance for assessing and caring for new mothers, newborns, and families. It carefully integrates the importance of understanding family, culture, client teaching, communication, and critical thinking all into the overall continuum of nursing care. The updated 4th edition integrates evidence-based practice where appropriate and includes the latest information on women"s health and fetal monitoring. · Nursing Process framework used throughout. · Over 30 Nursing Care Plans apply the nursing process to clinical situations and include critical thinking questions. · Multicultural considerations and changing family structures integrated throughout. · Communication Cues provide hints and techniques for interpreting client and family statements and behaviors. · Therapeutic Communication boxes use actual client-nurse dialogues to illustrate communication how-to"s. · Procedure Guides present common procedures with rationales for each step. · Critical Thinking questions complete with answers and rationales, present students with real life clinical situations. · Critical-to-Remember boxes highlight vital concerns such as danger signs of pregnancy, behaviors associated with substance abuse, and facts about HIV. · Drug Guides outline indications, adverse reactions, and nursing considerations for the most commonly used medications · Sample Clinical Pathways guide students through today"s collaborative care. · Check Your Reading questions help students assess their mastery of key content. · Want to Know boxes offer practical patient education guidelines. · Free student Companion CD-ROM with case studies, NCLEX review questions, care planning exercises, Nursing skills outlines, and NEW Videos of a vaginal birth, Cesarean birth, Assessment of the pregnant woman, and Assessment of the NeonateIncreased emphasis on community and home care throughout reflects today"s shift from hospital care to the home and other community settings.Integrated evidence-based practice emphasizes the importance of applying current research findings.Thoroughly updated content in key topic areas covers fetal monitoring and women"s health, including estrogen and hormone replacement therapy.