Ross and Wilson: Anatomy and Physiology in Health and Illness - Kathleen J. W Wilson, Anne Waugh

...current nurse training.
Ross and Wilsons Anatomy and Physiology is a must have for all nursing students. It covers anatomy and physiology in both health and illness which I found very useful. It is very easy to read with glossary and diagrams throughout to aid learning. I found the book very helpful as it not only explains the normal structure and functions of the body, but also what takes place when disease or illness disrupts the normal ...
...,by the authors, for a wide range of health care professionals including nurses, student nurses, students of the professions allied to medicine, paramedics, ambulance technicians and complementary therapists.

I found that the book covered all learning outcomes required by my A and P module. The book is very reader friendly being easy to read/understand, easy to navigate through desired sections and most important of all, meeting my ... more

I bought this book during first year of studying a degree in Adult Nursing. The book was recommended by the module leader of anatomy and physiology at the university I am attending. I found the book extremely helpful when trying to cram everything in before my anatomy and physiology exam. I first read the book in the uni library,among other anatomy and physiology books. I found this one suited me best as the information was well explained and broken down into sections which were easy to digest. The text is also accompanied with detailed diagrams which are easy to understand

The book has 19 chapters in total and is further broken down into four sections namely 'The Body and its constituents', 'Communication',' Intake of Raw Materials and the Elimination of Waste', and 'Protection and Survival'.

For the benefit of the reader, the authors have included a page of prefixes, suffixes and roots of terminology commonly used in the book, as well as their meaning and examples of their uses. For example, (taken from the book) the suffix '-itis', is to do with inflammation. Examples used I the book include appendicitis, hepatitis, cystitis and gastritis. This guide alone proved to be very helpful while sitting the A and P exam as well as throughout my nurse training to date, as I have been able to apply terminology heard on the ward, to the book to give me an idea of the meaning. For example, when I hear or see terminology prefixed with card-, nephro- or gast- , I know that the heart, kidney or stomach are being referred to.

Section 1 'The Body and its Constituents' is broken down into 3 chapters, namely 'An Introduction to the Human Body; An Introduction to the Chemistry of Life; and Cells, Tissues and Organization of the Body.
Chapter 1 describes the levels of structural complexity within the body, homeostasis, survival needs of the body, protection and survival, and an introduction to the study of illness.

Chapter 2 introduces the reader to atoms molecules and compounds; important biological compounds such as carbohydrates, proteins, enzymes etc; diffusion, osmosis; and extracellular and intracellular fluid.

Chapter 3 describes the cells, tissues and organisation of the body. It then describes disorders of cells and tissues, for example tumours.

Section 2 contains 6 chapters covering the aspects of blood and blood composition, the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system, the nervous system, the special senses and the endocrine system. Each chapter also includes an explanation of illnesses and disorders which are common in each system.

Section 3 contains 4 chapters which describe the repiratory system, nutrition, the digestive system and the urinary system. It too includes a detailed description of common illnesses and disorders associated with each system.

Section 4 refers to protection and survival. It contains 6 chapters which desribes the features and importance of the skin, immunity and resistance, the skeleton, the joints, the muscular system and the reproductive systems. It also covers common disorders in each area.

I found the diagrams in the book extremely relevant and greatly aided my learning. They are very detailed and correspond well to the text. Diagrams appear frequently throughout the text.

A few years ago, I studied biology at A level and feel this has benefited me greatly, especially as I have had to apply a lot of what I have learned to anatomy and physiology in my current nurse training.
Ross and Wilsons Anatomy and Physiology is a must have for all nursing students. It covers anatomy and physiology in both health and illness which I found very useful. It is very easy to read with glossary and diagrams throughout to aid learning. I found the book very helpful as it not only explains the normal structure and functions of the body, but also what takes place when disease or illness disrupts the normal processes.

The book is recommended ,by the authors, for a wide range of health care professionals including nurses, student nurses, students of the professions allied to medicine, paramedics, ambulance technicians and complementary therapists.

I found that the book covered all learning outcomes required by my A and P module. The book is very reader friendly being easy to read/understand, easy to navigate through desired sections and most important of all, meeting my learning needs in providing me with an effective basis for progressing through my nurse training.

The book also includes an easy accessible appendix stating normal values of blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, blood count etc.

Because the book is so detailed, I will hold onto it throughout my nursing career so I am able to refer to it at any time to help me further my learning.

There is also a section at the end of each chapter, related to each major topic, which allows readers to test their understanding of material included.

With 484 pages of detailed information about anatomy and physiology, from abdomen to zygomatic bone, you are sure to find everything you meet your learning needs in the subject.

Thanks for reading. This is my first book review. All suggestions are very welcome. I will take all on board and apply them to any further book reviews I write. (",) 

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