Analysis. Judgment. Decision-making. These elements are fundamental to nursing. The umbrella term "critical thinking" is fashionable for discussion of those elements, and it is a great obstacle to becoming a nurse. Delmar's Case Study Series is the most ambitious attempt to bridge the gap between content knowledge and clinical application. Maternity & Women's Health is the first installment in the series, which recognizes that numerous considerations, or variables, factor into making nursing decisions. Every case contains an introductory "blueprint" of variables that must be considered while evaluating that particular scenario, which are pertinent concerning the client, nursing protocol, or setting of care. Examples of these variables include age, gender, or culture of the client, the client with a pre-existing condition, legal issues, or communication skills. Each blueprint is different, just as each clinical situation is unique in some way to the previous. By simulating the actual decision-making process, learners gain a comfort level to make informed clinical judgments that will help them become successful nurses. Quite simply, Delmar's Case Study Series shortens the distance between the classroom and nursing practice like never before. Delmar is a part of Cengage Learning.