Overview
Introduction
Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's metabolic demands, or can only do so at abnormally elevated filling pres...
Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's metabolic demands, or can only do so at abnormally elevated filling pressures. It is one of the most common reasons for hospitalization in adults over 65 and a top-tested topic on NCLEX-RN. HF is classified by the side of the heart affected — left-sided (most common), right-sided, or biventricular — and by ejection fraction: HFrEF (reduced, EF < 40%), HFmrEF (mildly reduced, EF 40–49%), or HFpEF (preserved, EF ≥ 50%). Understanding the ejection fraction distinction is critical because it drives pharmacologic management. For the NCLEX-RN and Canadian nursing practice, the priority is to recognize deterioration early, apply monitoring skills correctly, and use clinical judgment to sequence interventions in the right order.