Nurses of the future need to accurately assess people of all ages, with varying mental and physical problems, across different settings and with changing health needs. This book introduces student nurses and novice practitioners to the assessment process enabling them to identify patient problems in order for solutions to be planned and implemented.

Linked to the NMC Standards and Essential Skills Clusters for degree-level education, and with detailed case studies and scenarios demonstrating practical application of key theory, the book encourages critical thinking and urges students to consider the social, cultural, psychological and environmental factors as well as the physical symptoms that may be present when making assessments.