Part of the Nursing Secrets Series, Cardiovascular Nursing Secrets is designed to be helpful for both new and experienced nurses in the cardiovascular field. New graduates, novice nurses, or those nurses returning to work in the cardiovascular field will find the book especially helpful in learning the "pearls" or "secrets" of practice. Written in a question & answer format. Section I: Assessment provides a guide to assessment skills, such as history taking and conducting a focused cardiovascular physical exam. Includes common questions that new or experienced nurses may have about history taking and completing a physical exam in a timely manner. "Pearls" of the trade are included regarding heart auscultation. Other aspects of physical assessment, such as hemodynamic monitoring (both invasive and non-invasive) are also included. Section II: Diagnostic Procedures discusses the various types of diagnostic studies that are pertinent to the CV patient population, indications for each, and includes tips on result interpretation. Patient preparation instruction and tips for patient education for each procedure are also addressed. Section III: Symptoms and Disease States includes a discussion on common etiologies of the symptoms or disease states, differential diagnoses, the most common treatments and introduces any controversies therein. Section IV: Therapeutic Options covers some of the major categories of treatment options for CV patients. Includes patient preparation and education tips. Section V: Cardiovascular Pharmacology covers some of the major categories of pharmacological treatment options for CV patients, including indications for use, potential side effects, patient education, and any current controversies in the field of each treatment option. Section VI: Cardiovascular Risk Reduction covers areas of cardiovascular risk reduction that nurses commonly address when conducting assessments, educating for primary/secondary prevention of CV events, and completing patient discharge planning. Common strategies and "pearls" of the trade are given to optimize patient adherence. Section VII: Special Patient Populations covers selected special patient populations that are commonly seen in practice. The unique characteristics of each sub-population in the relationship to CV disease are also briefly reviewed. Includes common questions asked by new and experienced nurses. Section VIII: Current Topics in Cardiology covers issues of family presence during invasive or resuscitative procedures, end of life patient care and genetics as they relate to the cardiovascular patient. Uses an effective 2-color format to provide answers to the most commonly asked questions regarding cardiovascular nursing. Lists 75 "Top Secrets" of cardiovascular nursing in the front matter for quick reference. Features Key Points boxes to emphasize the most important material in the chapter. Provides Internet Resources in each chapter for further studying and reference. Includes a special populations section that covers cardiovascular disease and its effect on the health of women, the elderly, diverse cultures, and those with diabetes. Includes a section on current topics at the end of the book, which includes chapters on family presence during resuscitation, end of life care, and genetics. Designed for both new and experienced nurses in the cardiovascular nursing field.