Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents: Nursing today -- The history and social context of nursing -- Nursing's pathway to professionalism -- Legal aspects of nursing -- Ethics: basic concepts for nursing practice -- Becoming a nurse: defining nursing and socialization into professional practice -- Education of nurses -- Critical thinking, the nursing process, and clinical judgement -- Communication and collaboration in nursing -- Illness, culture, and caring: impact on patients, families and nurses -- The science of nursing and evidence-based practice --Conceptual and philosophical bases of nursing -- Nursing theory: the basis for professional nursing -- The health care delivery system -- The Political activism of nursing: in organizations and government -- Nursing's future challenges --