Primary health care nurses and heart failure education: a survey

Heart failure education contributes to effective self-management. New Zealand primary health care nurses' contributions to heart failure educational activities have not been researched.

To identify primary health care nurses' heart failure educational activities in terms of duration and frequency, topics covered, resources used and strategies for Maori and other ethnic groups.

A cross-sectional survey of a random sample of 961 primary health care nurses using a postal questionnaire.

Of 630 respondents (65.5%), 369 worked with patients with heart failure and 339 provided heart failure education. One-third of respondents providing education (33.3%; n=113) delivered sessions from 16 to 60 minutes. The main educational topics covered were on the physical aspects of heart failure; prognosis, spiritual/existential and psychosocial topics were least often addressed. One-quarter of the group providing education did not use educational resources (n=86). The majority of respondents reported they would find more education about heart failure useful or very useful (80.2%; n=292), along with nurse practitioner support (64.7%; n=229). Maori-centred services and resources and involving whanau/family in education were the most frequently mentioned Maori-specific education strategies.

A consistent approach to heart failure education is important to address knowledge gaps in a timely manner. This study affirms the contribution made by primary health care nurses in chronic illness education and highlights the need for further development and investment in ongoing heart failure nursing education and specialist nursing support.