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The Heart Failure Nurse

Improving the Quality of Life for CHF Patients

Aug 24, 2007 Melanie Lamprecht

Patients with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) entail close clinical management and support to control and identify their symptoms.

Heart Failure Nurse Support

The role of a special nurse is ideal for focusing on the clinical needs of the patient as well as the educational and supportive requirements for both patients and family.

Jolly (2002) demonstrates that the heart failure nurse support has helpful effects on patient outcomes; for example, the instant patients experience problems or changes they are able to contact a health care provider and the problem is solved quickly and therefore in many cases hospitalization avoided. In addition, with the nurse’s help, patients can recognize early signs and symptoms, and know when to report any changes in activity tolerance, the onset of an acute illness, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea or orthopnoea.

Managing the Symptoms of CHF Patients

Several clinical trials have shown that the symptoms of CHF patients can be handled by drug treatments and alteration of a variety of lifestyle factors. It is now recognized that psychosocial factors such as quality of life, social support, depression and anxiety are significant and pertinent predicting factors of heart failure decompensation and mortality.

Many patients do not have optimal treatment because of the complexities of patient characteristics and shortfalls in health care delivery such as: lack of knowledge, lack of time, intricacy in diagnosis, poor coordination of care, and co-morbid conditions. In addition, patients often have to deal with cognitive and/or functional limitations, and may be lonely and lack support from family. Numerous patients have financial concerns, and psychological conditions such as anxiety and depression.

If symptom management is the cornerstone of treatment for CHF patients then the principal goal of the special nurse is to improve the quality of life for CHF patients. It is the responsibility of the special nurse to reinforce patient education and make certain that patients have a good idea about medication effects as well as help them maintain an appropriate level of daily exercise.

How Effective is Symptom Management for CHF Patients?

CHF is a persistent, debilitating disease that is increasing in incidence and prevalence in the elderly. As Quaglietti, Pham Froelicher (2000) point out, within the last decade there has been publication of symptom management therapies for CHF. Just how effective these therapies are for improving the functioning and survival in a patient with CHF, however, have been a matter of some controversy.

Resources Include:

Jolly. L (2002). The role of the specialist nurse. Session III- Multidisciplinary Work Building the Team. Heart 88, ii33-ii35.

Quaglietti S.E., Pham. & Froelicher, V. (2005) A Palliative Care Approach to the Advanced Heart Failure Patient. Current Cardiology Reviews, 1, 45-52.

The copyright of the article The Heart Failure Nurse in General Medicine is owned by Melanie Lamprecht. Permission to republish The Heart Failure Nurse in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.