9.2 Cardiovascular Basic Concepts
While the cardiovascular assessment most often focuses on the function of the heart, it is important for nurses to have an understanding of the underlying structures of the cardiovascular system to best understand the meaning of their assessment findings.
For more information on the cardiovascular system, visit the “Cardiovascular and Renal System” chapter in Open RN Nursing Pharmacology.
Specific sections include the following topics:
- Review of Basic Concepts for more about the anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular system
- Common Cardiac Disorders for more about cardiovascular medical conditions
- Cardiovascular and Renal System Medications for more about medications used to treat common cardiovascular conditions
Video Review of Anatomy and Physiology of the Heart[1]
- Forciea, B. (2015, May 20). Anatomy of the heart (v2.0) [Video]. YouTube. All rights reserved. Video used with permission. https://youtu.be/d8RSvcc8koo ↵
