Samantha Durant
Chamberlain College of Nursing
NR439-64139: RN Evidence-Based Practice-Williamson
December 2017
Research Critique: Nursing Intervention for Heart Failure Patients
Heart Failure (HF) is a disease that affects approximately 6 million adults in the United States. (www.cdc.gov) Complications include weight gain, shortness of breath, swelling in the lower extremities, and fatigue. (www.cdc.gov) Common risk factors include diabetes, hypertension, and coronary artery disease. (www.cdc.gov) Those who suffer from heart failure often find themselves admitted to the hospital on a frequent basis due to either lack of knowledge n self-care or inability to manage …show more content…
Healthcare today is greatly impacted by performance measures including hospital readmissions making his question relevant to today’s healthcare worker. Given the poor outcome for most HF clients intervention and intervention such as nurse telephone calls can have a significant …show more content…
(Stavrianopoulos, 2016) Not surprisingly, the intervention had a significant impact on Group A. The availability of a nursing resource led to fewer hospitalizations as well as reduced length in hospital stays. (Stavrianopoulos, 2016) Patients in group A experienced an increase in quality of life and a reduction in risk factors. (Stavrianopoulos, 2016) Stavrianopoulos did note that age may play an important role in the perception of the disease process by the patient. Older adults tend to have an overall greater appreciation for improved quality of life. (Stavrianopoulos, 2016) Additionally, a low level of education seems to be a factor in hospital readmissions. (Stavrianopoulos, 2016) The study could benefit from expanding the sample group. A larger study population could help to broaden the results. Patients completed a survey prior to the intervention and also following the intervention. The lapse in time between the two surveys may have given the participants time to change their answers altering the results. (Stavrianopoulos,