Clinical skills: history taking in cardiac patients

People with cardiovascular disease may present to nurses in various settings and at varying stages of their disease. Accurate assessment ensures that patients receive the care and treatment they need. Eliciting a clear clinical history from patients helps to guide a targeted clinical examination and is a critical step in the assessment process that will ensure suitable management and treatment are started in an appropriate time frame. This article will give an overview of the skills and techniques required to obtain an accurate patient history from a patient presenting with possible cardiac problems.