Includes bibliographical references and index.

Section 1: The profession of nursing. The development of professional nursing: history, the profession, and the nursing education experience -- The essence of nursing: knowledge and caring -- The image of nursing: what it is and how it needs to change -- Nursing education, accreditation, and regulation -- Section 2. The healthcare context. Health policy and political action: critical actions for nurses -- Ethics and legal issues -- Health promotion, disease prevention, and illness: a community perspective -- The healthcare delivery system: focus on acute care -- Section 3. Core healthcare professional competencies. Provide patient-centered care -- Work in interprofessional teams -- Employ evidence-based practice -- Apply quality improvement -- IOM core competency: utilize informatics -- Section 4. The practice of nursing today and in the future. Critical healthcare issue: why don't we have enough nurses? -- The future: transformation of nursing practice through leadership --