The fifth edition of the Core Curriculum for Medical-Surgical Nursing presents a comprehensive body of knowledge to support the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses' vision of leadership for medical-surgical nursing practice. Designed for new and experienced nurses caring for adult patients with one or more disease processes in a broad spectrum of settings, this edition of the Core Curriculum for Medical-Surgical Nursing has been expanded in response to requests from the readers.The fifth edition of the Core Curriculum for Medical-Surgical Nursing maintains the longstanding tradition of providing the practitioner with:* A foundation for practice in the area of adult health nursing.* A reference for review of particular areas of practice within medical-surgical nursing.* A guideline to prepare for the medical-surgical certification examinations, particularly the exam offered by the Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board leading to the Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (CMSRN) credential.* A template for organization of review courses that focus on adult health nursing.