need help with cardiovascular patho

[LuvMyGirls]

I have just started our cardiovascular unit. This semester has not yet been too nice on the tests and have yet to figure them out. I would like to know if anyone could help recommend a good website(prefer) or book to help me. All the questions are critical thinking and involve all labs, tests, disease processes, and rhythms associated with cardiovascular. It is so much and I know I could use some help.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

try these links:

• use family practice notebook (http://www.fpnotebook.com/index.htm) to look up specific diseases to get the lab tests and other diagnostic testing that the docs will order
  
• use the links on https://allnurses.com/forums/f205/medical-disease-information-treatment-procedures-test-reference-websites-258109.html - medical disease information/treatment/procedures/test reference websites to look up information about diseases and lab/diagnostic tests
  
• http://www.fi.edu/learn/heart/ - the franklin institute website of the exploration of the human heart
  
• http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/1056719919740hsfacts2003text.pdf - the heart and how it works from the american heart association. an 80-page booklet.
  
• http://texasheart.org/hic/anatomy/anatomy.cfm - anatomy of the human heart from the texas heart institute - includes information on the heartbeat, heart valves, the conduction system, the coronary arteries and the circulatory system
  
• http://www.skillstat.com/heartscapedemo.html - the structure and function of the heart with sound and animation - there is ekg information on this site as well
  
• http://www.gwc.maricopa.edu/class/bio202/cyberheart/cardio.htm - cyberheart - tutorials for basic heart anatomy, physiology and ekgs from professor crimando at gateway community college in phoenix, az. has an interactive tutorial quiz
  
• https://medschool.mc.vanderbilt.edu/mpb/medphysiology/week5/vascular.2.pdf - an explanation of cardiac output from vanderbilt medical center
  
• http://cvphysiology.com/index.html - companion site to cardiovascular physiology concepts by richard e. klabunde, ph.d. this is a medical textbook. includes information on the following subjects: arrhythmias, cardiac valve disease, coronary artery disease, edema, heart failure, hypertension, and peripheral artery disease.
  
• http://www.guidant.com/physician/media/animation.shtml - links to animation of the circulatory system, heart, heart chambers, heart valves, and the electrical system
  
• http://www.pacep.org/pages/start/ref.html?xin=sccm - this is a free online tutorial on how to use the pulmonary artery catheter in the clinical environment
  
• http://classes.kumc.edu/son/nurs420/unit4/hemomon.html - an short explanation of central venous pressure measurement (right atrial pressure)
  
  

for ekg's:

• http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/vlabs/cardiology/content/dtg/ecg/ecg.html - a very basic one page explanation of what the ekg waveform is and a little explanation about each one of the peaks
  
• https://allnurses.com/forums/f15/helpful-information-unit-140706.html
  
• https://allnurses.com/forums/f50/need-help-ekgs-256290.html
  
• http://www.12leadecg.com/intro/ - introduction to 12-lead ecg, the art of interpretation - online student resource for the textbook. go into the individual chapters to get pictures of the various tracings of the arrhythmias and other information that will help you with arrhythmias.
  

other links:

• http://rnbob.tripod.com/ - nurse bob's micu/icu survival guide - information on ekgs and drugs
  
• http://www.icufaqs.org/ - notes on icu nursing. links to icu procedures
  
• http://www.ccmtutorials.com/ - critical care medicine tutorials for medical students
  

for critical thinking on tests:

the basic strategy for answering critical thinking (application type) questions is as follows, you must:

• know and consider the normal anatomy and physiology
  
• know and consider abnormal anatomy for the disease in question
  
• know and consider the resulting signs and symptoms when the disease occurs and how they proceed from mild to fatal - each sign and symptom can be related back to the pathophysiology of the disease
  
• know and consider how the doctor diagnoses and treats the disease in question
  
• know nursing interventions for the signs and symptoms you are being asked about
  
• know the steps of the nursing process and what goes on in each of the steps and consider how they are affecting the question you are being asked
  
• know and consider the principles behind the actions being done - there are many kinds of principles: principles of nursing, principles of biology, principles of chemistry, principles of physics, etc.
  
• read the stem of the question carefully and answer that because the test makers try to trip you up by distracting you with conflicting information they give you in the answer choices that sounds good but has no relationship to what the question is asking for
  
• ask yourself "why" a patient is experiencing some sign or symptoms to get at the underlying problem. nursing like other disciplines treats the problem/signs and symptoms.

you should review the information and links in this thread as well:

• https://allnurses.com/forums/f50/looking-test-taking-stratagies-224581.html - looking for test taking strategies (on the nursing student discussion forum)
  

[Conrad283, BSN, RN]

A good tip is to understand why and how it happens, and not to just memorize the material.