Book excerpt: Nursing students quite often find it difficult to relate what they learn with respect to normal and abnormal physiology to patient care. In this useful text Roger Watson and Tonks Fawcett clearly explain: * the concept of homeostasis * the relevance of physiology to common disorders * the patient's response to these disorders * the appropriate nursing response. Each chapter is presented in a standard format with a brief outline of the relevant normal physiology and how homeostatic mechanisms normally cope. The student is led to understand what the patient with a specific disorder feels like and why, and is clearly instructed in what nursing action to take. Pathophysiology, Homeostasis and Nursing shows clearly how understanding physiology can improve nursing care and covers the main issues that relate to basic observations. It includes questions to help the reader test their knowledge as they go along and provides an accessible concise text for health care students, particularly nurses.