Did you ever wonder why your patient with an inferior MI has bradycardias or a patient with heart failure is on an ACE inhibitor?

Or become confused about ejection fractions, let alone hemodynamics?

If you have a hard time explaining to your patients about which blood vessel perfuses what part of the heart, or why they have an arrhythmia, or how their heart failure is causing their kidney problems, then you need to join Cathy Lockett, RN, MHA, BSN, CCRN-K, a mentor who can really make the information easy and understandable.

Designed with the bedside clinician in mind, this seminar is appropriate for all healthcare professionals wanting to improve their assessment skills, build a firm foundation of cardiac anatomy and physiology and apply these skills in daily patient care. Understanding these essential concepts will help you find patient complications faster and respond to them more appropriately. Cathy’s teaching style allows for an informal interactive discussion. You will leave with a systematic approach to interpreting EKGs, an understanding of common cardiac pathologies, and a renewed commitment to achieving excellence in patient care.

Objectives

1. Utilize the “Thumbs Technique” to determine the ventricular axis of the heart.
2. Analyze the more common cardiac arrhythmias and discuss the causes.
3. Evaluate the comparison of coronary artery perfusion to cardiac musculature and the conduction system.
4. Differentiate ischemia, injury, and infarction patterns on a 12-lead EKG, 15-lead, and right-sided EKG.
5. Integrate new evidenced-based guidelines to treat Acute Coronary Syndrome.
6. Categorize the process of valvular dysfunction and state treatments for aortic and mitral valve disease.
7. Evaluate the evidenced-based treatments to include medications and invasive procedures for chronic heart failure.

Outline

Cardiovascular Assessment: Critical Clues You Should NEVER Miss

• Contrasting Electrical from Mechanical Cardiac function
• Hemodynamics: Understanding Cardiac Output

Don’t Miss a Beat Interpreting Heart Sounds

• Contrast Normal from Abnormal Heart Sounds
• Murmurs: Differentiating Systolic from Diastolic
• S3/S4 Gallops
• Compensatory Mechanisms
• Maintaining Cardiac Output & Blood Pressure

Fast & Slow Dysrhythmias

• Choosing Your Monitor Leads Wisely
• The NEED TO KNOW Arrhythmias
• Bradycardias/AV Blocks
• Tachycardias
• Contrasting Atrial Fibrillation from Atrial Flutter
• Mono and Polymorphic V-Tach
• Ventricular Fibrillation
• Critical Nursing Actions

Clues from the EKG

• Anatomy of the 12-Lead, 15-Lead and Right-Sided EKG
• Differentiating Limb leads from Chest Leads
• Cardiac Axis Meaning and Assessment: Utilizing the Thumb Technique

Acute Coronary Syndrome: Diagnosis & Management Guidelines

• STEMI vs. NSTEMI Treatment Strategies
• Critical Cardiac Labs
• EKG Interpretation: A Systematic Approach to Detection Identifying the Differences
• Urgent vs. Emergent Interventions

Cardiovascular Drug Cabinet: Pharmacological Therapies

• AHA Guidelines: When to Use & Why
• Dual Anti-Platelet Therapy
• Beta Blockers
• ACE Inhibitors
• Anticoagulation
• Statins
• Mechanism of Action

The Failing Heart: Acute Management Priorities Systolic vs. Diastolic Heart Failure

• Revised Heart Failure Classification
• Neurohormonal Activation
• Perfusion & Congestion Assessment
• The Importance of Unloading the Heart
• Evidence-Based Treatment
• Acute Medication Protocols
• Nursing Considerations With:
  • Biventricular Pacing
  • Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators
  • LVAD

Valvular Heart Disease: Why the Left Side?

• Contrasting Stenotic Valvular Dysfunction from Insufficiency
• Physical Assessment Clues
• Signs & Symptoms
• Associated Murmurs

Advanced Skills in Assessment & Decision-Making

• Creating a Hemodynamic Profile without a PA Catheter
• Assessing Volume Status
• Jugular Vein Distention
• Importance of Pulse Pressure
• The Value of Heart Sounds

Target Audience

• Nurses
• Nurse Practitioners
• Clinical Nurse Specialists