This accessible and friendly text is based on the premise that all nurses need a working knowledge of the normal functioning of the human body. It is only when we understand the normal that the abnormal pathological situation makes sense. If we can understand how the body goes wrong then it often becomes obvious what needs to be done to treat the disorder. So physiology and pathophysiology can both be used to inform our clinical interventions and provide us with rationales for care.

In this concise text, John Campbell explains the physiology and necessary basic science in a way that is easy to understand and learn. Diagrams are an important part of this philosophy.