Now in its Sixth Edition, this text provides nurses with a comprehensive overview of the evolving marketplace, emphasizing the need to develop and maintain sound professionalism. The book discusses the nurse's role in public policy and management of patient care. This edition includes new material on professional nursing roles, nursing management and leadership theories, quality improvement processes, and working in diverse and international communities. Each chapter includes clinical vignettes representing real-life practice situations, thought-provoking questions to stimulate critical thinking, research briefs to promote the use of research in practice, and critical thinking exercises. Internet exercises are included to familiarize students with online resources.