Updating readers on recent changes in the healthcare system, the way it is financed and the role of the practical nurse in this system, this text investigates such areas as ethics and law, management, communication, personal development, learning styles and time organization, taking the NCLEX-PN exam, career mobility and more. The text encourages critical thinking and active problem-solving for both academic and personal issues with revised material. It also covers the use of study groups, computer-aided instruction, computer simulation, on-line catalogues and CD-ROMs. An instructor's manual is also available, ISBN 0-7216-6878-X.