Filled with practical information, this timesaving guide helps the nurse zero in on the patient's signs and symptoms, assess the related body system, and analyze the findings. Reviews how to obtain a health history, interview patients effectively, and perform a thorough physical examination using a body system format that integrates anatomy and physiology. This guide provides essential assessment techniques as well as normal and abnormal findings, and is enhanced by checklists, illustrations that explain difficult concepts, and a self-test quiz at the end of each chapter.