Presented by: Karen Marzlin

Course Description:
Acute coronary syndrome is a medical emergency that requires specific nursing competencies for patient management during the initial presentation and during the remaining hospital stay. These competencies include assessment skills, ECG reading, pharmacology knowledge, and early recognition of potential complications.  Additionally, acute coronary syndrome most often occurs in patients with underlying coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease is a chronic systemic condition and nurses caring for these patients also need comprehensive knowledge regarding secondary prevention strategies. This refresher course covers the content outlined below.  This short course was recorded as part of the Cardiac Vascular Nursing Certification Review Course and is being offered as an individual CE offering for those not purchasing the CVN Review Course.

Course Content:

• 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

Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Differentiate between unstable angina, non ST elevation myocardial infarction, and ST elevation myocardial infarction.
• Describe the most common pathophysiology involved in acute coronary syndrome (ACS), including the role of vulnerable plaque.
• Discuss signs and symptoms associated with acute coronary syndrome.
• Identify ECG changes and biomarker changes used in making the diagnosis of ACS.
• Compare primary treatment strategies for non ST elevation ACS to treatment strategies for ST elevation myocardial infarction.
• Describe the therapeutic actions of medications used in ACS to reduce short term and long term mortality and morbidity.
• Contrast nursing management priorities of patients undergoing percutaneous revascularization with those of patients undergoing surgical revascularization.
• Outline the evolutionary ECG changes seen after ST elevation myocardial infarction.
• Correlate specific complications post myocardial infarction to the type of myocardial infarction.
• Discuss discharge priorities from a patient perspective.

Continuing Education:
3.75 hours of continuing education (contact hours) are offered with this program. 0.1 Pharmacology CE.  CNEA is a provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, provider number 15714.

Course Price:
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