History of cardiac surgery. The cardiac nurse. The cardic team. Anatomy and physiology. Environmental, instrumentation and equipment. Preoperative assessment. Nursing diagnoses. Perioperative nursing care planning. Perioperative nursing care. Generic procedures. Surgery for coronary artery disease. Mitral valve surgery. Evaluating outcome achievement. Aortic valve surgery. Tricuspid and pulmonary valve procedures. Surgery on the thoracic aorta. Ventricular and other circulatory assist devices. Trasplantation for hearth and lung disease.