This student textbook has been devised as the first integrated Australian study to provide a basis for the nursing management of adults with a medical or surgical condition and is designed to equip students with technical information on various nursing fields. Information is supplied to ensure that nurses are able to identify all the appropriate information when assessing a patient, recognize actual and anticipate potential patient problems, select realistic, patient-centred objectives, implement appropriate nursing actions to assist the patient to achieve a sound recovery and revise the plan of care as necessary. It is assumed that the users of this textbook will have completed an introductory year of nursing studies. The editors concentrate on medical-surgical nursing in the acute care setting and since it is intended for the generalist nurse, detailed discussion of specialist areas of nursing practice is avoided.