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Palliative Care in Heart Failure
Judith E Hupcey1, Lisa Kitko2, Windy Alonso1
1The Pennsylvania State University College of Nursing, 1300 ASB/A110, 90 Hope Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America
|November 17, 2015
Summary
Heart failure patient numbers are rising, with poor outcomes. Palliative care, including advance care planning, is crucial but underutilized. Nurses play a key role in delivering palliative care and facilitating referrals.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Palliative Care Medicine
- Nursing Science
Background:
- Growing prevalence of heart failure (HF) leading to significant morbidity and mortality.
- Current gaps in advance care planning, end-of-life discussions, and palliative care referrals for HF patients.
- Palliative care encompasses comprehensive support for patients and families from diagnosis through bereavement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the importance of palliative care integration in heart failure management.
- To emphasize the role of nurses in delivering basic palliative care and initiating specialist referrals.
- To address the underutilization of essential end-of-life care services in heart failure.
Main Methods:
- Review of current practices in heart failure care.
- Analysis of the scope of palliative care delivery.
- Identification of nursing's role in palliative care and referral processes.
Main Results:
- Advance care planning and palliative care referrals are not consistently implemented for heart failure patients.
- Nurses are well-positioned to provide foundational palliative care.
- Nurses are critical in identifying patient needs for escalation to specialized palliative care teams.
Conclusions:
- Integrating palliative care early and consistently is essential for improving outcomes in heart failure.
- Nurses are pivotal in bridging the gap between basic and specialized palliative care for heart failure patients.
- Systematic implementation of palliative care interventions, facilitated by nurses, can improve end-of-life care for heart failure patients.
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