The Cardiac section of the FNP Review provides you with everything you need to confidently tackle one of the most heavily tested areas on your boards. With a clear focus on high‑yield, clinically relevant content, this section helps you understand not just the facts — but how to apply them to real‑world scenarios and board‑style questions.
Here’s what you’ll master in this section:
-
Cardiac Anatomy & Physiology:
Build a strong foundation by reviewing key cardiac structures and their functions — essential for understanding murmurs, arrhythmias, and heart disease presentations.
-
Cardiac Physical Exam:
Learn how to identify and interpret high‑yield findings such as gallops, murmurs, thrills, and jugular venous pressure — skills critical for both your exam and clinical practice.
-
Hypertension (HTN):
Review the latest evidence‑based guidelines, first‑line medications, and special considerations (e.g., pregnancy, diabetes, African‑American patients).
-
Dyslipidemia (Lipids):
Understand cholesterol and triglyceride targets, statin therapy, and how to counsel patients on lifestyle and pharmacologic interventions.
-
Heart Failure (HF):
Master the differences between systolic and diastolic HF, key diagnostic tests, staging, and guideline‑directed management strategies.
-
Pericardial Effusion & Tamponade:
Recognize the signs and symptoms of effusion, understand Beck’s triad, and know how to respond in emergent situations.
-
Metabolic Syndrome:
Learn the diagnostic criteria, associated risks, and evidence‑based approaches to prevention and treatment.
-
Atrial Fibrillation (AFib):
Get comfortable with classifying AFib, rate vs. rhythm control strategies, and anticoagulation decisions using CHA₂DS₂‑VASc.
Each topic is broken down into manageable, memorable lessons — with mnemonics, clinical pearls, and plenty of board‑style practice questions to help you retain and apply what you learn.
✅ Build your confidence, reinforce your clinical knowledge, and get ready to ace the cardiac portion of your FNP boards!