The role of the nurse in cardiac rehabilitation programmes

Cardiac rehabilitation programmes are intended to enhance the effect of acute treatment actions and to prevent risk factors, thus leading to an improvement in the patient's well being and recovery. Accordingly, all cardiac rehabilitation activities do not take place at the same time, which is the reason why the nurse's role changes in character over time. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to highlight the role of the nurse in cardiac rehabilitation programmes. The nurse's multiple roles in cardiac rehabilitation have a 'spider in the web-like' character and, depending on the phase of the patient's recovery, he/she acts as a container, a counsellor, a coach and an educator. To implement a successful cardiac rehabilitation, the nurse needs to have improved evaluation tools in clinical practice as well as to be self-critical and serve as a good role model. Finally, the cardiac rehabilitation nurse has to have a four-fold comprehensive perspective of the cardiac rehabilitation concept; an impact perspective, a timing perspective, a lifespan perspective, and a personal perspective.