Learning Goals and Objectives
Heart failure (HF) problems, normally associated with cardiovascular disorders, appear to be the issues of general concern and discussion among clinicians and patients on a global scale. The premises for their occurrences are known to be numerous: changes in climate conditions, air and water pollution, emotional overload, stresses, anxieties and more.
The learning goals and objectives of this particular week are to provide informative medical advisement to patients and their relatives as to how to behave and what measures to take to reduce the occurrences of heart failure symptoms, such as hypertension, a raised heart rate, fatigue, reoccurring chest pain, and other risk factors (Steca et al., 2013). A psychological aspect of the matter will also be considered in order to provide a complex view of the problem to patients and their caregivers.
According to Allen, Himmelfarb, Szanton, and Frick (2014), cardiovascular nurses play one of the key roles in the evaluation of patients’ cardiovascular status, disease management, and monitoring the hemodynamic functions. Regarding the fact that HF symptoms are quite often accompanied by psychological disorders, such as phobia, anxiety, and compulsive thoughts, nursing intervention is claimed to reduce patients’ stress and have an overall positive impact on their health conditions.
Naturally, the statement forms a formidable background for another objective formulation, which sets forward the task to give evidence to the claim that nursing practice positively influences not only patients’ physical conditions, but their emotional state as well. Observation and interviewing the nursing staff will be used as the main tools of data collection.
Week Schedule
- Monday: Online research and selection of the most effective methods (diets, training, positive attitude towards life, etc.) to combat cardiovascular disorders and HF related issues;
- Tuesday: Obtaining interviews from a nursing staff, sharing professional experience, receiving findings;
- Wednesday: Looking for evidence to the claim that nursing has a positive impact on HF patients’ attitude towards treatment. Observation is used as the main tool for data retrieving;
- Thursday: Discussion of the most efficient care delivery techniques with families, giving recommendations regarding further treatment course;
- Friday: Evaluating findings and making conclusions.
Placement Issue
There were no significant placement issues encountered during the week. Despite the fact, not all of the observed examples gave evidence to the fact that nursing practice had a positive influence on patients’ way of thinking, particular cases of care delivery proved the claim to be the truth. The conclusions were made on the basis of the reduction of patients’ initial heart rates and noticeably lower blood pressure measurements after nurses’ intervention.
Objective Description
The objective of this week’s research was to define which methods and techniques provide the maximum benefit to the home-based care delivery and whether a nursing practice does have an overall positive effect on HF patients’ mental health. Concerning the first objective, the findings showed that systematic physical exercises and cultivation of positive thoughts had a beneficial impact on sufferers’ health condition regardless of their diagnosis or form/stage of a disease.
As to the second goal, numerous studies have discovered that cardiovascular disorders and patients’ psychological well-being are closely correlated (Steca et al., 2013). The way nurses treat this fact quite often determines how effective their medical practice will be. Thus, if a nurse shows eagerness to do all possible for a person to feel comfortable, patients will express fewer concerns and will demonstrate their disposition to follow recommendations.
References
Allen, J. K., Himmelfarb, C. R. D., Szanton, S. L., & Frick, K. D. (2014). Cost-effectiveness of nurse practitioner/community health worker care to reduce cardiovascular health disparities. The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 29(4), 308-314.
Steca, P., Greco, A., Monzani, D., Politi, A., Gestra, R., Ferrari, G., & Parati, G. (2013). How does illness severity influence depression, health satisfaction and life satisfaction in patients with cardiovascular disease? The mediating role of illness perception and self-efficacy beliefs. Psychology & Health, 28(7), 765-783.