title: Heart sounds: are you listening? Part 1.
abstract: All nurses should have an understanding of heart sounds and be proficient in cardiac auscultation. Unfortunately, this skill is not part of many nursing school curricula, nor is it necessarily a required skillfor employment. Yet, being able to listen and accurately describe heart sounds has tangible benefits to the patient, as it is an integral part of a complete cardiac assessment. In this two-part article, I will review the fundamentals of cardiac auscultation, how cardiac anatomy and physiology relate to heart sounds, and describe the various heart sounds. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned nurse, it is never too early or too late to add this important diagnostic skill to your assessment tool kit.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Program, Fraser Health-Royal Columbian Hospital, New Westminster, BC. jocelyn.reimer-kent@fraserhealth.ca
authors.forename: Jocelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reimer-Kent
mesh_terms: D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006326:Heart Auscultation / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing*; D006347:Heart Sounds / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology