<p>From prenatal through postpartum care, Gloria Leifer's <b>Maternity Nursing: An Introductory Text</b> provides an essential foundation for promoting the health and wellness of mothers and newborns. This edition includes the latest advances and practice standards in maternity nursing care, highlighting <i>Healthy People 2020</i> and the 2011 Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals. Part of the popular <i>LPN Threads</i> series, this text addresses the knowledge, skills, and scope of practice appropriate for LPN/LVN and LPN/LVN-to-ADN ladder programs.</p><br><br><ul> <ul></ul> <li><b>Chronological organization of content</b> follows a sequence from family issues, fetal development, pregnancy, labor, birth, and care of the newborn, to postpartum issues with special social, familial, and cultural considerations. </li> <ul> <p></p></ul> <li><b>Organization of concepts in each chapter by simple to complex and from health to illness</b> makes it easier to locate and understand the material.</li> <ul> <p></p> <p></p></ul> <li><b>Complete, concise coverage</b> includes a table of physiologic and psychosocial changes throughout the pregnancy, unique content on CPR for the pregnant patient and infectious diseases acquired during pregnancy, a pictorial story of a vaginal birth, cultural considerations of pregnancy and maternal care, and nursing responses to loss, death, and grief. </li> <ul> <p></p> <p></p></ul> <li><b>UNIQUE! A FREE Study Guide</b> in the back of the book reinforces understanding with multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, scenario-based clinical situation questions, and online activities. </li> <ul> <p></p> <p></p></ul> <li><b>Nursing Care Plans with critical thinking questions</b> help in understanding how a care plan is developed, how to evaluate care of a patient, and how to apply your knowledge to clinical scenarios. </li> <ul> <p></p> <p></p></ul> <li><b><i>Health Promotion</i> boxes and content</b> focus on family-centered care, health promotion, illness prevention, and women's health issues. </li> <ul> <p></p> <p></p></ul> <li><i><b>Clinical Pathways</b></i> use an interdisciplinary, collaborative-care approach in tracking interventions along a timeline from assessment to discharge and follow up. </li> <ul> <p></p> <p></p></ul> <li><b>Online resources</b> for further research and study are included at the end of each chapter. </li> <ul> <p></p> <p></p></ul> <li><b>UNIQUE! <i>LPN Threads</i></b> make learning easier, featuring a 10th-grade reading level, key terms with phonetic pronunciations and text page references, chapter objectives, special features boxes, and full-color art, photographs, and design.</li></ul><br><br><ul> <li><b>Coverage of the latest advances in nursing care</b> includes fetal heart rate monitoring during labor and delivery and revised diabetes classifications.</li> <p> <li><b><i>Get Ready for the NCLEX<SUP>® </SUP>Examination!</i> section</b> at the end of each chapter includes key points, review questions, and critical thinking questions for individual, small group, or classroom review.</li> <p></p> <p> <li><b><i>Safety Alert!</i> boxes </b>highlight 2011 Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals, with special consideration for serious and potentially fatal medication errors. </li> <p></p> <p> <li><b>Easily recognizable icons for standard steps</b> are included in each skill (e.g., hand hygiene).</li> <p></p> <p> <li><b>UNIQUE! Icons in page margins</b> point to relevant animations and video clips on the companion Evolve website.</li> <p></p></ul>