Fundamental Concepts and Skills for Nursing

This market-leading textbook offers an engaging format and clear writing style that make it easy to master the basic nursing concepts and skills you need to practice in a variety of care settings. Its nursing process framework, health promotion focus, emphasis on critical thinking, and thorough coverage of communication and patient teaching provide a strong foundation for your nursing education. Full-color illustrations, critical thinking exercises, and practical examples help you strengthen and apply your knowledge of essential nursing concepts.

• More than 500 full-color illustrations ― including 50 new to this edition ― highlight and explain key concepts presented in the text.
• Concepts and skills are presented from simplest to most complex to help you gradually build your knowledge and learn more easily.
• A Companion CD-ROM includes audio clips, an audio glossary, video clips, 3-D animations, English-Spanish phrases, NCLEX®-PN Examination-style review questions, and more.
• Theory and Clinical Practice Objectives introduce you to the concepts you’ll learn in each chapter.
• Key Terms with phonetic pronunciations familiarize you with the language of nursing and health care.
• Overview of Structure and Function provides a brief review of essential anatomy and physiology related to specific body systems, with a special section on aging.
• The nursing process is emphasized throughout in Application of the Nursing Process sections and serves as the framework for Skills and Nursing Care Plans.
• Think Critically About… boxes encourage you to synthesize information and apply concepts beyond the scope of the chapter.
• Approximately 80 Skills provide illustrated step-by-step instructions for performing key nursing procedures, with clear actions and rationales and Critical Thinking Questions.
• Approximately 50 Steps present abbreviated versions of additional skills in a quick-reference action/rationale format.
• Approximately 20 Nursing Care Plans provide examples for planning care and encourage you to think critically and follow the nursing process.
• Critical Thinking Activities at the end of each chapter allow you to apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to specific clinical scenarios.
• Elder Care Points introduce you to the unique care issues that affect older adults.
• Health Promotion Points address wellness and disease prevention, including diet, infection control, and more.
• Communication Cues feature sample dialogues and therapeutic communication techniques to help you build a positive rapport with patients.
• Concept Maps help you visualize how the multiple nursing diagnoses, treatments, and side effects for specific disorders relate to each other.
• Home Care boxes provide guidelines for adapting nursing skills and techniques for use in the home setting.
• Patient Teaching boxes offer step-by-step instructions for patients and their families regarding proper post-hospital care.
• NCLEX-PN® Exam Style Review Questions at the end of each chapter include alternate item-format questions to prepare you for the exam.
• Helpful appendixes offer quick access to essential facts and information in the clinical setting.

• Assignment Considerations boxes will cover situations in which the RN delegates to the LPN/LVN or when the LPN/LVN assigns tasks to nurse assistants, patient care techs, and other unlicensed assistive personnel
• Clinical Cues provide guidance and advice related to the nursing care under discussion
• Safety Alert boxes highlight specific danger or dangers to patients related to clinical care
• 50 new illustrations and photos have been added to this edition to aid visual learners
• 5 Skills have been added to this edition, giving deWit a total of 80 skills covered
• 5 Steps have been added to the 44 in the current edition