Successful Heart Failure Nursing Clinic Intervention for Improving Self-Management in a Patient with Stage D Heart...

The clinical relevance and standardized methodology of heart failure (HF) nursing clinics remain inadequately defined. Since 2019, our institution has operated an HF nursing clinic designed to provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary care to patients with complex needs. We present the case of a 72-year-old man hospitalized for decompensated HF due to dilated cardiomyopathy, triggered by excessive salt and fluid intake. He was ultimately discharged after one year of intensive multidisciplinary management, which included temporary support with a percutaneous left ventricular assist device (Impella 5.0), cardiac resynchronization therapy, and trans-catheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair. Following discharge, he was followed monthly at the HF nursing clinic, where certified HF nurses and HF educators delivered structured counseling focused on psychological support, self-monitoring, dietary modification, and lifestyle adjustment. Remarkably, he has remained free from HF-related hospitalizations for five years, despite being categorized as stage D. While further investigation is warranted to develop standardized protocols, HF nursing clinics may represent a valuable strategy for supporting high-risk patients with impaired self-care capacity, attenuating HF progression, and improving quality of life.