The primary objective of this textbook is to identify the
myriad of options for holistic, evidence-based practice in
maternal and child nursing care in this new millennium,
based on a philosophy of physiological and developmental
normalcy and stressing safety and optimization of outcomes
for mother and child. In addition to comprehensive coverage
of maternal and child nursing care in traditional settings,
essential elements for providing cost-effective, highquality,
innovative nursing care in community settings are
presented. Discussion of health care delivery in community
settings is crucial in contemporary nursing education and
refl ects the present trend for women, families, and children
to obtain health care in the diverse settings in which they
live, grow, play, work, or go to school.