Book excerpt: Part of the Nursing Secrets Series, this text is designed to be useful for both new and experienced nurses in the cardiovascular field. New graduates and novice nurses, as well as those nurses returning to cardiovascular practice, will find this book especially helpful in learning the "pearls" or "secrets" of the field. Chapters focus on basic topics such as history taking and conducting a focused cardiovascular physical exam, diagnostic procedures and interpretation of results, patient preparation instruction, etiologies of symptoms or disease states, treatment options, and the reduction of cardiovascular risk. In addition, current issues include family presence during invasive or resuscitative procedures, end-of-life patient care, and the role of genetics. Book jacket.