Challenges in Cardiovascular Nursing Care and Interventions

Question: Discuss the challenges in cardiovascular nursing care and interventions. Answer: Introduction Cardiovascular diseases or CVD are the diseases that occur in the heart or blood vessels of the human body. During the past 2 decades, the prevalence of CVD and stroke has increased and accelerated in low- and middle- income countries that currently bear the major burden of these chronic conditions. Although a myriad of both modifiable and immutable factors contribute to the worldwide epidemic of CVD and stroke, accumulated data clearly underscore the important role of life course prevention. (White, 2007). The American Heart Association (AHA) and the World Health Organization recognize the key role that nurses and other team members play in supporting the goal to reduce death and disability from CVD. This paper will enlighten the issues arising in the nursing interventions for treating cardiovascular diseases in the Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital, California. Main analysis of the paper In the Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital, it has been observed that the cardiovascular diseases are not being treated properly by the nurses. It is the role and responsibility of the nurses to implement beneficial nursing techniques that will promote the health conditions of the patients facing cardiovascular diseases (Taylor, 2008). But it is perceived that the nurses in the aforesaid hospital are not properly trained and educated regarding how to cure the concerned diseases such as Stroke, Cerebrovascular Disease, Congenital Heart Disease, Congestive Heart Failure, Myocarditis, Valve Disease, Coronary Artery Disease, Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Diastolic Dysfunction, Endocarditis, Hypertension, etc. Also they are sometimes very rude and impolite which makes the patients de-motivated and as a result they fail to recover properly. Cardiovascular nurses play a pivotal role in helping the patients to recover from their illnesses as fast as possible. These patients are very much prone to stresses and anxiety. Proper evaluation and monitoring of the patients health conditions is required for reducing their health related stress. But in the above mentioned hospital, the nurses have shown immense neglect towards the patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases. They are not efficient enough to handle these patients (Mohrman Heller, 2010). They show rigidness in their tones while dealing with the patients and so the latter do not feel comfortable to share their problems and issues with the nurses. Also it has been observed that the nurses are not quite well educated regarding the use of the machineries related to the treatment of the cardiovascular diseases. Angiography process is also not well implemented in the hospital and as such the patients health conditions considerably deteriorate. These loopholes in the care treatment of the patients with cardiovascular diseases have tended to decline their health conditions and often lead to sudden death. Cardiovascular nursing affects a large number of patients. A session on fear in cardiovascular patients have evaluated that fear is a positive coping strategy or negative emotional status thereby considering how fear and anxiety can lead to delays in seeking treatment, and the relationship between fear and inflammation, which is associated with worse outcomes. Due to such improper nursing interventions, they lack in their abilities to deliver effective care treatment, medication and care support to the patients and thus they become stressed and anxious. This anxiety and over-stress leads the patients to hypertension and thereby causes serious health problems (McCabe Field, 2000). Not only that, these drawbacks or issues highlighted in the care interventions and implementations for cardiovascular diseases led to decrease the efficacy and reputation of the Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital. The quality of the care treatment provided has decreased thereby causing the patient death rate to extensively increase. Heart problems, or cardiac problems, have been the leading cause of death throughout the world for decades. The American Heart Association (AHA) has even estimated that approximately a third of all deaths in 2007 in the United States alone were caused by cardiovascular disease. This problem is quite major and to avoid such issue in the future, the cardiovascular nurses need to make a definite care plan and strategy which will enable them to provide optimum care treatment to the patients (Carpenito, 2009). Recent research findings suggest that morbidity and mortality in cardiac patients can be improved with a comprehensive treatment plan which has a Nurse Managed Stress Reduction Plan. Randomised controlled trials can also be implemented for the benefit of the hospital for secondary prevention of Coronary Heart Disease. Advanced Practice Nurse is in an ideal position to assess predictors of noncompliance as well as to implement interventions to enhance patient compliance in cardiovasc ular care. Cardiovascular Nurses play a very important role at different levels, like, the technical level, where the nurses carry out diagnostic examinations and risk assessments; psychological level where the nurse informs, acts as a health counsellor and helps in the patient self care process. Conclusion and proposed solutions In order to treat the patients with cardiovascular diseases, nurses play a vital role. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of morbidity and premature mortality in women and men worldwide. Nursing interventions in such cases should aim to enhance patient tolerance by supporting the balance between oxygen supply and demand promoting physiologic adaptation to prevent complications associated with hypoxia such as Cardiac Dysrhythmias, Hypotension and Cardiac Arrest. Nursing interventions can provide for appropriate preoperative and postoperative interventions in such cases. Recognizing the individuals and collective contributions that nurses have made in CVD and stroke prevention and the promise of empowering nurses as global cardiovascular leaders, the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA) initiated the Global Cardiovascular Nursing Leadership Forum (GCNLF) to promote their health standards in the Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital. References Andrews, M. Boyle, J. (2008).Transcultural concepts in nursing care. 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