Clinical Skills and the Renal System

Develop essential skills for enhancing renal health, ensuring accurate assessment and patient-focused treatment Clinical Skills and the Renal System delivers a structured approach to understanding and mastering the clinical assessment and procedural skills that are essential for delivering safe, effective and compassionate care for patients with conditions affecting the renal system. Part of Peate’s Clinical Skills, a 12-book series that combines knowledge of human anatomy and physiology with practical, confident clinical skills, this volume is organised into chapters covering how to engage with patients, assessing the renal system, health promotion, planning care for acute kidney injury, vital signs, fluid balance, urinary catheterisation, and specimen collection. Clinical Skills and the Renal System equips readers with: Clear explanations of anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology relevant to the renal system Step-by-step guidance on assessment, examination, and procedural techniques, emphasising best practice and patient safety Insights on interpreting findings, recognising abnormalities, and applying knowledge to guide care decisions Guidance on teamwork, infection prevention and control, documentation, and patient-centred care throughout clinical practice Strategies to explain diagnoses, treatment plans, and care procedures to patients and families, while offering emotional support Clinical Skills and the Renal System is an essential resource for all healthcare and social care students—including those returning to practice and newly qualified practitioners—who manage patients with renal conditions and seek practical ways to deliver a higher standard of care.

Preface ix Acknowledgements xi 1 The Anatomy and Physiology of the Renal System 1 2 Engaging with Patients and Assessing the Renal System 25 3 Health Promotion 50 4 Planning Care: Acute Kidney Injury 65 5 Vital Signs 85 6 Fluid Balance 105 7 Urinary Catheterisation 127 8 Specimen Collection 154 References 178 MCQ Answers 179 Index 180