Book excerpt: Delivering comprehensive and ethical patient-cenetered care is the goal of every nurse--and every nursing student. Practical Ethics for Nurses and Nursing Students is a concise and easy-to-use reference manual to assist nurses in achieving this practice goal. Although the manual addresses a broad spectrum of clinical situations, the challenge of patient communication underlies ever chapter. While evaluative strategies and therapeutic interventions frequently change, communication--with patients, their loved ones, and other members of the healthcare team--is a timeless and personal art. The concepts described in Practical Ethics for Nurses and Nursing Students are as important to patient care as any diagnostic or management technique. When a nurse or nursing student masters the art of communication with patients and has learned to identify and resolve ethical problems, she or he has acquired enduring, career-enhancing skills. Most importantly, she or he will provide better care to patients.