Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association News and Resources

Save the Date: 2026 Cardiovascular Nursing Symposium Plan now to join us next year in Orlando, Florida, for the 31st Annual Cardiovascular Nursing Symposium. The meeting will be held on April 10 to 12, 2025, at the B Resort & Spa in Buena Vista, Florida. Stay tuned to pcna.net/symposium for program updates and announcements of speakers and sessions. Get Help With Health Equity To help identify gaps in knowledge about health equity, healthcare professionals now have access to a new self-assessment instrument that is available at no cost. In approximately 10 minutes, this instrument will help healthcare professionals identify areas of improvement and lead them to pertinent resources to fill their current knowledge gaps in addressing health equity in clinical practice. To take the assessment, scan the QR code or visit pcna.net/healthequity. Clinical Trials: Increasing Diversity Through Nurse and Patient Engagement A series of educational instruments and resources are being released to help increase the engagement of nurses and their patients in clinical trials and, in turn, increase the diversity among clinical trial participants. A patient education instrument and podcast mini-series are available, and a video will be released in early 2025 to help clinicians and their patients better understand the processes and how to get involved. Learn more at pcna.net/clinical-trials. Kidney-Heart Connections A mini-series of 3 podcast episodes is now available to assist healthcare professionals learn more about cardiorenal metabolic syndrome, including diagnosis and treatment. The 3 episodes emphasize the interconnectedness of the heart, kidneys, and liver and the importance of team-based care in prevention, treatment, and slowing of disease progression. Find all the episodes of the "Heart to Heart Nurses" podcast on the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA) website or wherever you listen to podcasts. Access to Medications—Updated! The Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association has updated 2 important instruments to help healthcare professionals and their patients ensure access to medications. The instruments address topics including previous authorizations, working as a team to help patients access medications and discount programs, and working with insurance providers. These complimentary instruments are available for download at pcna.net/clinical-resources. Addressing Atrial Fibrillation in Clinical Practice The newest guidelines for the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation recommend that healthcare professionals provide individualized care and shared decision making to balance stroke risk with bleeding risk—and PCNA has a series of resources and instruments to help. Visit pcna.net/clinical-resources to access these and other helpful instruments. Learn more about atrial fibrillation diagnosis and treatment—including when to use anticoagulants, as well as rate and rhythm control—in an interactive professional development series. More information are available at pcna.net/CE. A discussion guide with information and a symptom checklist to help patients with atrial fibrillation prepare for their next clinic visit are available at pcna.net/clinical-resources, along with other helpful instruments. Learning About Lowering LDL-C Lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels is an important strategy to decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke, and PCNA has released a new podcast episode to help clinicians learn about current evidence-based treatment options. The episode "Learning About Lowering LDL-C" discusses treatment options, access, and adherence to therapies. Find this and all the "Heart to Heart Nurses" podcast episodes on the PCNA website or wherever you listen to podcasts. Advocacy in Action The Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association is now offering a training course for healthcare professionals—specifically nurses—on the basics of advocacy. "From Care to Action: Basics of Advocacy" is designed for nurses to gain foundational knowledge and skills to become effective advocates at every level of government. Register for the free course at pcna.net/CE.