Session Objectives

Learn from the research that is redefining cardiovascular health and discover how to put it into practice in your own setting.

PCNA_0250

Pharmacology Preconference

Heart Failure in 2025: New Therapies, New Recommendations, Next-Gen Nursing

  1. Identify key updates for the treatment of heart failure
  2. Explain recent pharmacologic advancements in the management of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (hfref) and their implications for nursing practice
  3. Evaluate emerging trends in heart failure management based on recent clinical trial data
  4. Demonstrate how to apply guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) through emerging technologies to optimize outcomes in patients with heart failure

The Silent Threat, Loud Solutions: Nurses Leading the Charge in Hypertension Management

  1. Discuss current evidence-based hypertension treatment guidelines and their implications for clinical nursing practice
  2. Explore care considerations for complex or resistant hypertension
  3. Describe national initiatives aimed at improving hypertension awareness, detection, and control across healthcare settings
  4. Discuss the role of nurses in implementation and disseminating the hypertension guidelines across diverse settings and populations.

Beyond the Scale: Cardiometabolic Strategies for the Heart of the Matter

  1. Explain the pathophysiology of excess adiposity, cardiometabolic dysfunction, and cardiovascular risk in patients with and without diabetes
  2. Explore current and future trends in cardiometabolic pharmacologic management
  3. Review pharmacologic mechanism of action of guideline-directed therapies, including GLP-1 receptor agonists, SGLT2 inhibitors
  4. Discuss care models that bridge cardiology, endocrinology, nutrition, and behavioral health to address obesity as a chronic disease

Sleep Tight, Heart Right: Managing Sleep Disorders for Cardiovascular Health

  1. Explain the pathophysiology and clinical presentation of common sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome (RLS), insomnia, and idiopathic fatigue syndrome.
  2. Describe the relationship between sleep disorders and cardiovascular health, including their role in the development or exacerbation of CVD co-morbidities
  3. Review current treatment strategies for managing sleep disorders with cardiovascular implications
  4. Apply nursing care approaches to assess, educate, and manage patients with coexisting cardiovascular and sleep disorders

General Sessions

The Heart of Prevention: Stratifying Risk, Lowering Lipids, and Leading Patient Conversations

  1. Explain the principles of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk stratification and the use of evidence-based screening tools
  2. Describe the impact of traditional and emerging cardiovascular risk enhancers on ASCVD outcomes
  3. Discuss the pathophysiologic role of lipids, particularly LDL-C and lipoprotein(a), in the development and progression of ASCVD
  4. Apply effective communication strategies to engage patients in understanding their cardiovascular risk and adopting preventive behaviors

Secondary Prevention: Lipids, Lifestyle, and the Power of Cardiac Rehab

  1. Identify key secondary prevention strategies following myocardial infarction, revascularization, or diagnosis of ASCVD
  2. Explain evidence-based lipid management strategies for secondary prevention, including the use of high-intensity statins, ezetimibe, and PCSK9 inhibitors
  3. Evaluate the role of cardiac rehabilitation in improving long-term cardiovascular outcomes and supporting patient recovery

Valve Vibes: Innovations in Structural Heart Care

  1. Describe the pathophysiology and clinical presentation of structural heart diseases
  2. Explain the indications, procedure, and ongoing management for minimally invasive valve therapies
  3. Apply evidence-based nursing care to optimize outcomes in patients undergoing TriClip, MitraClip, or TAVR procedures

Stroke Smart: Advancing Nursing Leadership in Prevention and Systems of Care

  1. Describe evidence-based strategies for the prevention and early recognition of stroke, including risk factor management and the use of clinical screening tools
  2. Discuss current best practices in acute stroke management, including timely intervention, care transitions, and secondary prevention strategies
  3. Examine the role of nurses in advancing stroke systems of care across the continuum—from pre-hospital response to inpatient care and community reintegration

Atrial Fibrillation Care: Navigating the New Era

  1. Describe the latest diagnostic approaches for atrial fibrillation, including advances in screening tools and remote monitoring technologies
  2. Discuss the newest pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment options for atrial fibrillation, including novel anticoagulants, rate control strategies, and catheter ablation techniques
  3. Examine best practices in the long-term management of atrial fibrillation, with a focus on stroke prevention and lifestyle modifications

Food for Every Heart: Culture, Cost & Cardiovascular Care

  1. Examine how socioeconomic factors such as food insecurity, access to healthy foods, and health literacy influence dietary choices and cardiovascular outcomes and solutions to address the disparity
  2. Discuss culturally considerate approaches to cardiovascular nutrition that respect diverse food traditions while promoting heart health
  3. Explore the role of the CV nurse in policy and advocacy initiatives surrounding nutrition and food as medicine

The Missing Beat: Rewriting the Story of Women’s Heart Health

  1. Describe sex-specific cardiovascular risk factors and disease patterns in women across key life stages—including adolescence, reproductive years, menopause, and older adulthood
  2. Explain the principles of cardio-obstetrics and the impact of pregnancy-related conditions on long-term cardiovascular risk
  3. Apply evidence-based strategies to improve prevention, diagnosis, and management of cardiovascular disease in women, with attention to health disparities and communication gaps

Polluted Hearts: Environmental Health in Cardiovascular Care

  1. Explain the biological mechanisms through which environmental exposures contribute to cardiovascular disease development and progression
  2. Examine the impact of environmental exposures on cardiovascular outcomes through a health equity lens
  3. Describe evidence-based strategies nurses can use to reduce cardiovascular risk associated with environmental exposures

Health Coaching: Role of the Nurse

  1. Examine health coaching techniques and motivational interviewing into daily cardiovascular care, fostering patient-centered partnerships that drive sustained behavior change
  2. Explain the use of motivational interviewing strategies to enhance patient engagement and support meaningful lifestyle changes
  3. Explore the role of nurses as champions of behavior change by cultivating a culture of empowerment, helping patients set personalized cardiovascular health goals, and reinforcing the importance of long-term commitment to health improvement

Breakout Sessions

EKG in Action: Identifying and Interpreting Key Heart Rhythms

  1. Identify and differentiate the most common heart rhythms through real-time EKG strip analysis (NSR, Atrial, VT, heart blocks)
  2. Interpret EKG patterns to assess clinical significance and potential patient risk, including recognizing abnormal heart rhythms that require immediate intervention or changes in management (Vtach, VT, ST elevation, etc)
  3. Analyze an Atrial Fibrillation case study to identify treatment based on EKG findings

Echo in Action: A Hands-On Guide to Echocardiographic Imaging and Interpretation

  1. Identify and interpret key echocardiographic findings in common disease states such as heart failure, valvular diseases, and myocardial infarction
  2. Identify the proper technique for obtaining high-quality echo images
  3. Discuss the application of echo results in clinical decision-making to guide patient care

Cath Lab in Action: Understanding Cardiovascular Interventions

  1. Demonstrate the ability to interpret angiograms, identifying common pathologies such as coronary artery blockages, stenosis, and other findings in acute coronary syndrome patients
  2. Understand and apply the principles of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
  3. Evaluate valvular interventions like TAVR and the decision-making process behind selecting a minimally invasive approach