This popular introduction to patient care has been completely revised and updated! An organized format and the text's easy-reading style allow students to better grasp concepts. Pre-post tests reinforce learned material; and laboratory reinforcements challenge the reader to perform newly learned skills. Case studies act as critical thinking exercises to teach the reader how to think. Chapter glossaries provide definitions for commonly used key terms.New features in the fifth edition include: new material that includes the most current material on tracheostomy, suctioning, gastrostomy tubes, parenteral nutrition, drug administration (with an emphasis on IV drugs), condom catheters, and special procedures. Chapter outlines provide an overview and introduce the reader to key concepts; a second color highlights text and illustrations; and learning objectives in the form of Expected Outcomes establish learning goals. A new chapter on pharmacology offers essential guidance for administering and understanding drugs related to the clinical setting. Unique to this edition is an appendix with key phrases in Spanish that teaches the reader to communicate with patients who do not speak English.