Nurses Pre-Conference Course
Thursday, August 20, 2026
A dedicated pre-conference course designed for nurses who care for patients with cardiovascular disease across a variety of clinical settings. Participants will engage in hands-on breakout stations with Heartmate LVAD, ECMO, Impella, and more new emerging technology.
The Texas-CIC Nurses Pre-Conference Course is designed for registered nurses and other nursing professionals involved in the care of patients with cardiovascular disease across the continuum of care. The activity is intended for nurses practicing in cardiovascular intensive care units, cardiac step-down units, emergency departments, catheterization laboratories, electrophysiology laboratories, operating rooms, post-anesthesia care units, heart failure programs, cardiac rehabilitation settings, and ambulatory cardiovascular clinics.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to:
- Apply evidence-based nursing strategies to assess, monitor, and manage patients with complex cardiovascular conditions across acute, critical care, procedural, and ambulatory practice settings.
- Analyze clinical findings, patient characteristics, and diagnostic data to support early recognition of cardiovascular deterioration and appropriate escalation of care.
- Evaluate the indications, risks, benefits, and clinical applications of emerging cardiovascular technologies, mechanical circulatory support devices, and advanced treatment modalities used in contemporary patient care.
- Integrate current evidence, clinical guidelines, and interdisciplinary best practices into the care of patients with heart failure, cardiogenic shock, cardiac arrest, pulmonary embolism, congenital heart disease, and other complex cardiovascular conditions.
- Develop strategies to improve patient outcomes, enhance care coordination, and nursing practice through the effective use of innovation, emerging technologies, and data-driven decision-making.
Nursing Pre-Conference Agenda
Thursday, August 20, 2026
10:30 Am
Registration
11:00 Am
Welcome and Introductions
11:15 AM
More Than a Childhood Disease: Understanding Congenital Heart Disease Across the Lifespan
Sarah Dominguez, APRN, CPNP-AC, RNFA
11:30 AM
Caring for the Obstetric Patient in Heart Failure
Yissela Escobedo, MD
11:45 AM
What’s New in Cardiac Genetics: Implications for Clinical Care
Mahek Shah, MD
12:00 pm
Roundtable Q&A
12:10 pm
Break – Grab Food
12:20 pm
Lunch Jeopardy – Test Your Nursing Skills
12:55 pm
Break – Breakout Stations
1:30 pm
Artificial Intelligence in Nursing Transforming Practice, Education, and Outcomes
Animesh Gour, MD
1:45 pm
Optimizing Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Response in Rural Texas
Stephen Harper, MD
2:00 pm
Beyond Pressors, The New Era of Cardiogenic Shock Management
Nandish Thukral, MD, FSCAI
2:15 pm
Roundtable Q&A
2:25 pm
Break – Breakout Stations
3:00 pm
Heart Failure, What’s New? Next-Gen Nursing
Alexis Wahlen, NP
3:15 pm
Pulmonary Hypertension Overview
Chandra Kunavarapu, MD, FACC
3:30 pm
Extending the Reach of ECPR: A Mobile ECMO Strategy
Kevin Rixmann, RN
3:45 pm
Roundtable Q&A
3:55 pm
Break – Breakout Stations
4:30 pm
Machine Perfusion and Coronary Artery Disease in the Liver Transplant Candidate
Nassir Thalji, MD
4:45 pm
Critical Care Echo – Guiding Clinical Decisions in the Unstable Patient
Taylor Triana, MD, MBA, FACC
5:00 pm
Post-cardiotomy Shock: Inotropes vs Mechanical Circulatory Support
Jonathan Yang, MD
5:15 pm
Roundtable Q&A
5:25 pm
Closing Remarks
