This "Nursing Core" book focuses on the key topic areas essential to the study of child care in an undergraduate nursing curriculum. Pedagogical aids: margin notes, chapter outlines, review questions, a glossary of key terms, and annotated bibliographies help the student master the material quickly and confidently for application in the classroom and in clinical practice. Everything essential to excelling in the classroom and on the NCLEX exams is included with particularly strong coverage of pain management techniques, normal growth and development, cross-cultural perspectives, and much more. The opening section on effective study habits and the importance of critical thinking gives the student a starting framework to build upon. Like every "Nursing Core" book, this one was developed with input from nursing students, faculty, and recent nursing graduates and represents an antidote to the time constraints, content overload, and cost facing today's nursing student.