Course Objective for the Med Surg Cardiovascular Course for Nursing Students:
By the end of this comprehensive “Med Surg Cardiovascular” course, nursing students will:
- Acquire Profound Cardiac Knowledge: Develop a deep understanding of cardiac anatomy, heart sounds, and key cardiovascular concepts, enabling students to visualize blood flow through the heart and the body.
- Master Disease Processes: Gain expertise in recognizing and managing major cardiovascular disease processes, including Acute Coronary Syndromes (Angina, MI), Hypertension, Endocarditis, and Valve Disorders, through in-depth discussions and practical insights.
- Demystify Complex Conditions: Demystify complex cardiovascular conditions like Heart Failure and Shock, comprehending the different types and mastering competency in their management, ultimately boosting confidence in providing patient care.
- Enhance Clinical Competence: Develop clinical competence in identifying cardiac-related issues and symptoms in patients, ensuring the ability to assess, intervene, and monitor patients with cardiovascular conditions effectively.
- Mastery of Key Lessons: Specifically, achieve proficiency in key lessons such as Cardiac Anatomy (Lesson 01.02), Preload and Afterload (Lesson 01.06), and Nursing Care and Pathophysiology for Heart Failure (CHF) (Lesson 03.02), equipping students with the essential knowledge and skills required for successful nursing practice in the field of med surg cardiovascular.
Throughout this course, nursing students will be empowered with the knowledge and practical insights necessary to excel in caring for patients with cardiovascular issues, making them confident and competent healthcare professionals in the med surg cardiovascular domain.
Med Surg Cardiovascular Course Summary
In this course, you will find discussions of Cardiac Anatomy and how to listen to heart sounds, as well as major disease processes such as Acute Coronary Syndromes (Angina, MI), Hypertension, Endocarditis, and Valve Disorders.
You will also find a detailed discussion of two complex disease processes – Heart Failure and Shock – presented in a way that will demystify and clarify the different types and how to manage each one competently and confidently.
The Cardiac course is so important in nursing as cardiac conditions are super common in patients! Through this course you will gain so much confidence in identifying cardiac related issues and symptoms in your patient.
Key Cardiac Lessons
In lesson 01.02, Cardiac Anatomy, you will not only gain the big picture of how blood makes its way through the heart but also through the rest of the body. You will be given key points to remember blood flow like arteries “away” and “heart-lungs-heart-body” as well as CheatSheets to practice the blood flow to the heart.
Lesson 01.06, Preload and Afterload, builds on the Hemodynamics course which defines factors like stroke volume which is determined by preload, afterload, and contractility. In this lesson you will gain an understanding of what preload, afterload, and contractility are, what causes each, and the symptoms that appear if they are too low or too high in the patient.
In lesson 03.02, Nursing Care and Pathophysiology for Heart Failure (CHF), you will be taught that heart failure is essentially pump failure and how exactly this is defined. The causes of pump failure are reviewed with the reasoning behind the cause. You will be able to identify the diagnostics involved for this issue, complications, and information on right-sided heart failure.
