Heart Failure Nursing Certification Exam – Practice Questions & Study Guide Page 1 2026-03-16
Heart Failure Nursing
Certification Exam – Practice
Questions & Study Guide
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Heart Failure Nursing Certification Exam – Practice Questions & Study Guide.pdf 1 Heart Failure Nursing Certification Exam – Practice Questions & Study Guide.pdf
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Causes of heart failure
CAD - most common
HTN
MI
Valvular disease
Genetic disease (i.e. Duchenne muscular dystrophy, certain hypertrophic cardiomyopathies)
Congenital abnormalities (i.e. tricuspid atresia, septal defects)
Peripartum cardiomyopathy
Infiltrative CMO (i.e. amyloidosis, sarcoidosis, hemochromatosis)
Infection/inflammatory processes (i.e. viral myocarditis, Chagas disease)
Metabolic disorders (i.e. hyperthyroidism, DM)
Toxins (alcohol, chemotherapy radiation therapy illicit drugs)
Arrhythmias
heart failure (HF)
condition in which there is an inability of the heart to pump enough blood through the body to supply the tissues and
organs with nutrients and oxygen
Heart Failure Nursing Certification.pdf 2 Heart Failure Nursing Certification.pdf
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contributing factors of ventricular remodeling
Neurohormal activation
Dysregulation of the immune system
Alterations in the extracellular matrix ("scaffholding" that hold myocardial cells in alignment)
Neurohormal activation
SNS (stimulation of b-adrenergic receptors by epi/norepi)
RAAS (release of renin, angiotensin II, and aldosterone) Natriuretic peptides (BNP elevated and release d/t increase
stretch/stress)
Vasopressin (anti-diuretic hormone)
Endothelin (myocardial ET stimulated by hypoxia, ischemia, and neurohormones)
What receptors does the SNS release?
B-adrenergic
Chronotropism
increased heart rate
Heart Failure Nursing Certification.pdf 3 Heart Failure Nursing Certification.pdf
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Inotropism
increased contractility
Preload
degree of stretch of the cardiac muscle fibers at the end of diastole. Diuretics decrease preload. Ventricular end
diastolic pressure is increased in a failing heart. Determining factor for pre-load is venous return and circulating
volume
Afterload
the amount of resistance to ejection of blood from the ventricle. Antihypertensives decrease after load. This is
reflective of aortic pressure for left ventricle and pulmonary artery pressure for the right ventricle. As afterload
increases, cardiac output decreases. As arterial pressure increases afterload increases.
Cardiac Output (CO)
HR x SV. The amount of blood ejected by the left ventricle with each contraction. Normal is 4-8/minute. Decreased
cardiac output, require shedding of blood and peripheral vasoconstriction to perfuse vital organs
Heart Failure Nursing Certification.pdf 4 Heart Failure Nursing Certification.pdf
Heart Failure Nursing
Certification Exam – Practice
Questions & Study Guide
Guidehttps://www.stuvia.com/dashboard!@_)#*)(@$)($@*($@)($@*_
Heart Failure Nursing Certification Exam – Practice Questions & Study Guide.pdf 1 Heart Failure Nursing Certification Exam – Practice Questions & Study Guide.pdf
,Heart Failure Nursing Certification Page 2 2026-03-16
Causes of heart failure
CAD - most common
HTN
MI
Valvular disease
Genetic disease (i.e. Duchenne muscular dystrophy, certain hypertrophic cardiomyopathies)
Congenital abnormalities (i.e. tricuspid atresia, septal defects)
Peripartum cardiomyopathy
Infiltrative CMO (i.e. amyloidosis, sarcoidosis, hemochromatosis)
Infection/inflammatory processes (i.e. viral myocarditis, Chagas disease)
Metabolic disorders (i.e. hyperthyroidism, DM)
Toxins (alcohol, chemotherapy radiation therapy illicit drugs)
Arrhythmias
heart failure (HF)
condition in which there is an inability of the heart to pump enough blood through the body to supply the tissues and
organs with nutrients and oxygen
Heart Failure Nursing Certification.pdf 2 Heart Failure Nursing Certification.pdf
,Heart Failure Nursing Certification Page 3 2026-03-16
contributing factors of ventricular remodeling
Neurohormal activation
Dysregulation of the immune system
Alterations in the extracellular matrix ("scaffholding" that hold myocardial cells in alignment)
Neurohormal activation
SNS (stimulation of b-adrenergic receptors by epi/norepi)
RAAS (release of renin, angiotensin II, and aldosterone) Natriuretic peptides (BNP elevated and release d/t increase
stretch/stress)
Vasopressin (anti-diuretic hormone)
Endothelin (myocardial ET stimulated by hypoxia, ischemia, and neurohormones)
What receptors does the SNS release?
B-adrenergic
Chronotropism
increased heart rate
Heart Failure Nursing Certification.pdf 3 Heart Failure Nursing Certification.pdf
, Heart Failure Nursing Certification Page 4 2026-03-16
Inotropism
increased contractility
Preload
degree of stretch of the cardiac muscle fibers at the end of diastole. Diuretics decrease preload. Ventricular end
diastolic pressure is increased in a failing heart. Determining factor for pre-load is venous return and circulating
volume
Afterload
the amount of resistance to ejection of blood from the ventricle. Antihypertensives decrease after load. This is
reflective of aortic pressure for left ventricle and pulmonary artery pressure for the right ventricle. As afterload
increases, cardiac output decreases. As arterial pressure increases afterload increases.
Cardiac Output (CO)
HR x SV. The amount of blood ejected by the left ventricle with each contraction. Normal is 4-8/minute. Decreased
cardiac output, require shedding of blood and peripheral vasoconstriction to perfuse vital organs
Heart Failure Nursing Certification.pdf 4 Heart Failure Nursing Certification.pdf
