Book excerpt: The painless way to master medical-surgical nursing Medical-Surgical Nursing Demystified is a self-teaching guide and subject review that helps students and practitioners understand the fundamental concepts of medical-surgical nursing. Using a building block approach, this entertaining book breaks complex material down into brief, easy-to-understand sections. Medical-Surgical Nursing Demystified features a full chapter for each system--cardiovascular, respiratory, immune, hematologic, nervous, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, endocrine, genitourinary, and integumentary. You'll find a description of how the system functions, signs and symptoms of diseases and conditions, diagnostic tests, and treatment options. Perioperative preparation and pain management are also covered. Filled with key terms to help you to remember important concepts, and complete with end-of-chapter NCLEX-style quizzes to test your knowledge, this book will teach you the fundamentals of medical-surgical nursing in no time at all. This fast and easy guide offers: Learning objectives at the beginning of each chapter An NCLEX-style quiz at the end of each chapter to reinforce learning and pinpoint weaknesses Coverage of diagnostic tests and treatment options A final exam at the end of the book A time-saving approach to performing better on an exam or at work Simple enough for a beginner, but challenging enough for an advanced student, Medical-Surgical Nursing Demystified is your shortcut to mastering this essential nursing topic.