Book excerpt: Take your understanding to a whole new level with Pageburst digital books on VitalSource! Easy-to-use, interactive features let you make highlights, share notes, run instant topic searches, and so much more. Best of all, with Pageburst, you get flexible online, offline, and mobile access to all your digital books. Using a uniquely collaborative and reader-friendly approach, expert authors Donna D. Ignatavicius and M. Linda Workman cover all the latest trends, evidence-based treatment guidelines, and additional updated information needed for safe clinical practice in medical-surgical nursing. This seventh edition features an expanded emphasis on patient safety and NCLEX Examination preparation, new ties to the QSEN priorities for patient safety, and a greater alignment with the language and focus of clinical practice. A new chapter on evidence-based practice and a wealth of effective online learning tools help solidify your mastery of medical-surgical nursing. UNIQUE! Collaborative approach presents all medical, surgical, nursing, and other interventions through the lens of the nursing process. Reader-friendly, direct writing style makes this one of the most readable medical-surgical nursing textbooks available. UNIQUE! Cutting-edge focus on the latest trends in nursing practice and nursing education prepares you for both today and tomorrow's nursing practice. UNIQUE! Integrated tools for NCLEX preparation get you ready for your licensure examination. Chapter-opening Learning Outcomes are linked to Self-Assessment Questions for the NCLEX Examination on the Evolve website. Unique chapter-ending Get Ready for the NCLEX Examination! sections include Key Points organized by NCLEX Client Needs Categories. UNIQUE! Focus on nursing concepts helps bridge the gap between the concepts learned in Nursing Fundamentals, and disorders content learned in the medical-surgical nursing course. UNIQUE! Emphasis on clinical decision-making teaches you to apply concepts to true-to-life clinical situations. UNIQUE! Concentration on the core body of knowledge for the RN level of medical-surgical nursing practice focuses your attention on 'need-to-know' content to pass the NCLEX Examination and practice safely as a beginning nurse. Rich array of effective learning aids includes: Best Practice for Patient Safety & Quality Care Best Practice for Emergency Care Patient and Family Education: Preparing for Self-Management Nursing Focus on the Older Adult Home Care Assessment Focused Assessment Common Examples of Drug Therapy Evidence-Based Practice Concept Maps Laboratory Profiles Assessment Using Gordon's Functional Health Patterns