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Presented by: Karen Marzlin and Cynthia Webner

Course Description:
This comprehensive cardiovascular nursing course is designed to serve as a preparatory course for the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Cardiovascular Nursing Certification (CVN). In addition to preparing nurses for this examination, this program can also serve as a great review course for more experienced nurses or an orientation course for new nurses working with patients with cardiovascular disease. Some have also found this content to be helpful for nurses in a CV nursing residency program. The course is especially good for nurses working in a progressive care or telemetry unit with CV patients as well as nurses working in Cardiac Rehabilitation, outpatient cardiac clinicals or office practices. Course content is based on the new 2020 blueprint for the ANCC CVN Examination and provides in-depth and evidence-based information related to the care of adult cardiac patients.

This program is for you if you wish to:

• Enhance your knowledge and skills related to caring for the patient with cardiovascular disorders.
• Participate in a course that will assist you as you prepare to sit for the American Nurses Credentialing Cardiovascular Nursing Certification examination. (ANCC CVN information can be found: https://www.nursingworld.org/our-certifications/cardiac-vascular-nurse/
• Participate in Cardiovascular specific continuing education.

The course content includes:

Session 1: Cardiovascular Assessment

• History
• Physical Examination
  • Heart Sounds
  • Importance of Vital Signs
  • Creating an Evaluation of Cardiac Output Through Physical Assessment
    • Preload
      • JVD Assessment
    • Afterload
    • Contractility
  • Pulse Assessment
  • Edema Assessment
  • Ascites Assessment
  • Extremity Assessment for Venous vs Arterial Disease

Session 2: Cardiovascular Pathophysiology

• Valvular Disease
  • Aortic Stenosis
  • Aortic Regurgitation
  • Mitral Regurgitation
  • Mitral Stenosis
• Cardiomyopathies
  • Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
  • Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
  • Tako-Tsubo Cardiomyopathy
• Inflammatory Disorders
  • Pericarditis
  • Pericardial Effusion
  • Constrictive Pericarditis
  • Infective Endocarditis
• Cardiac Ion Channelopathies
  • Long QT Syndrome
  • Brugada Syndrome

Session 3: Cardiovascular Pathophysiology Continued

• Part 1 — Atrial Fibrillation
  • Mechanism of Atrial Fibrillation
  • Consequences of Atrial Fibrillation
  • Rate Control Strategies
  • Rhythm Control Strategies
    • Antiarrhythmic Therapies
    • Procedural Therapies
  • Stroke Prevention
    • Anticoagulation
    • Procedural Therapies

• Part 2 — Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS)
• Defining ACS
• Symptoms
• Risk Assessment
• Cardiac Biomarkers
• Coronary Arteries
• ECG Determination of ACS
  • Identifying STEMI in the Presence of Bundle Branch Block
• Medical Treatment of ACS
• Interventional Treatment of CAD
  • Procedural Complications of Percutaneous Intervention
• Surgical Revascularization with CABG
  • Preoperative Preparation
  • Postoperative Complications
• Post Myocardial Infarction Complications
• Discharge Considerations

• Part 3 — Heart Failure
• Definition and Classifications
• Pathophysiology and the Neurohormonal Response
• Symptoms of Heart Failure
• Physical Examination Findings
• Diagnosis
  • BNP Level Assessment
  • Electrolyte Evaluation
  • Other Pertinent Lab Assessment
  • Non-invasive Imaging
• Treatments for HFrEF
  • Medications to Improve Mortality
  • Medications to Decrease Symptoms
  • Dietary Sodium Considerations
  • Fluid Intake Considerations
  • Device Therapy
• Treatments for HFpEF
  • Medications
  • Addressing Co-Morbidities
• Stage D Heart Failure
  • Advanced Therapy
  • End of Life Decisions
• Patient Education
• Addressing Readmissions

Session 4: Arterial and Venous Disease

• Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
  • Risk for PAD
  • History
  • Physical Assessment
  • Diagnostic Evaluation
  • Critical Limb Ischemia
  • Acute Limb Ischemia
  • Treatment for Lower Extremity PAD
• Aneurysms – Aortic Aneurysm
  • Pathophysiology
  • Diagnosis
  • Classification
  • Complications
  • Treatment
• Aortic Dissection
  • Pathophysiology
  • Classification
  • Complications
  • Clinical Presentation
  • Risk Factors
  • Treatment
• Stroke
  • Cerebral Circulation
  • Causes
  • Stroke Classifications
  • Signs and Symptoms
  • Diagnostic Testing
  • Treatment Strategies
  • Subacute Care
• Venous Disease
  • Chronic Venous Insufficiency
• Thromboembolic Disease
  • Risk Factors
  • Signs and Symptoms
  • Diagnosis
  • Treatment
• Pulmonary Embolism
  • Pathophysiology
  • Clinical Presentation
  • Diagnosis
  • Treatment
• Pulmonary Hypertension

Session 5: Arrhythmias and Cardiac Monitoring

• Electrical Conduction Pathway
• Atrial Arrhythmias
  • Atrial Tachycardia
  • Paroxysmal Atrial Tachycardia
  • Multifocal Paroxysmal Atrial Tachycardia
  • Atrial Flutter
  • Atrial Fibrillation
• Heart Blocks: AV Blocks
  • 1st Degree AV Block
  • 2nd Degree AV Block
    • Type 1: Wenckebach
    • Type 2
  • High Grade AV Block
  • Complete Heart Block
• Supraventricular Tachycardias (SVT)
  • Atrioventricular (AV) Nodal Re-entrant Tachycardia
  • Atrioventricular Reentry (Reciprocating) Tachycardias
    • Orthodromic Tachycardia
    • Antidromic Tachycardia
• Wide Complex Tachycardias
  • SVT with Right Bundle Branch Aberration
  • SVT with Left Bundle Branch Aberration
  • Ventricular Tachycardia
    • Monomorphic VT
    • Polymorphic VT (with normal QT Interval)
    • Torsade’s de Pointes
• QT Interval Monitoring
  • Guideline Recommendations
  • Monitoring Considerations
  • Risk for Prolonged QT
• Ischemia Monitoring
  • Guideline Recommendations
  • Monitoring Considerations
  • Which Leads?

Session 6: Cardiovascular Risk Factors

• AHA Life’s Simple 7
• Unmodifiable Risk Factors
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Metabolic Syndrome
• Obesity
• Activity
• Tobaccoism
• Hypertension
• Hypercholesterolemia
• Sleep Disorder Breathing

Session 7: Professional Issues in Cardiovascular Care

• Professional Standards of Practice
  • Scope and Standards of Practice in CV Nursing
• Ethical and Legal Principles
• Nursing Research
• Nursing Theory
• Nursing Leadership
• Patient Education and Counseling
• Medication Safety
• Tests Taking Tips

Course Learning Objectives:
At the completion of this program, the learner should be able to:

1. Discuss tools to enhance clinical history and physical assessment in patients with actual or potential cardiovascular disease.
2. Apply the physiological-based knowledge required for sound clinical judgment in patients with valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy, inflammatory disorders, and Cardiac Ion Channelopathies.
3. Apply the physiological-based knowledge required for sound clinical judgment in patients with atrial fibrillation, acute coronary syndromes, and heart failure.
4. Apply the physiological-based knowledge required for sound clinical judgment in patients with venous and arterial disease.
5. Apply the physiological-based knowledge required for sound clinical judgment in patients with cardiac arrhythmias.
6. Examine the latest approach to bedside cardiac monitoring for arrhythmia monitoring, ischemia monitoring, and QT interval monitoring.
7. Discuss recognition, assessment of, treatment strategies for cardiovascular risk factors.
8. Identify professional, ethical and legal principles associated with the care of patients with CV disease.
9. Identify patient education and counseling strategies that impact patient success in dealing with cardiovascular disease.

Discuss strategies for successful passage of certification examination.

Continuing Education:
28.0 CE are offered with this program and this includes 6.0 pharmacology hours. CNEA is a provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, provider number 15714.

Bring this program to your hospital. Contact CNEA at info@cardionursing.com.