The Core Curriculum for Cardiovascular Nurses and Allied Professionals.

This 2023 update of the Core Curriculum in Cardiovascular Nursing (2015) embraces the formation of the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professionals and reflects the diverse professional backgrounds of our members, including nurses, allied health professionals, and healthcare scientists (in this document referred to collectively as Nurses and Allied Professionals).

Integrated care in cardiovascular disease: a statement of the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions of the European Society of Cardiology.

In a rapidly changing health and care landscape, there is acknowledgement that the organization of care should be integrated with the patient placed at the centre. In reality, care systems are often fragmented, disjointed, and focused on the condition rather than the patient. The Science Committee of the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions of the European Society of Cardiology recognizes the need for a statement on integrated care to guide health professionals caring for people with cardiovascular disease. This statement outlines the evidence for integrated cardiovascular care, identifies challenges, and offers advice for practice, education, and research.

A Survey on Cardiovascular Nursing Occupational Standard: Meeting the Needs of Employers.

Occupational standard is the result of the agreement between relevant stakeholders in the labor market and education on optimal content for a particular occupation. While drafting occupational standard, the primary instrument for researching competencies at a workplace is a survey on occupational standard. This study identifies key competencies, roles, and responsibilities that are deemed necessary by employers of cardiovascular nurses. The survey addressed the responses of 41 organizations from 11 out of 21 counties in Croatia which were represented by the head nurses of cardiology departments in the hospitals. The survey consisted of 24 questions that covered the main responsibilities, competencies, generic skills, and psychometric abilities. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Conducting diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, health care, education, administration of medications, monitoring, and documentation were listed as the main responsibilities of cardiovascular nurses. The most common skills included assessment, monitoring patient's condition, knowledge of the diagnostic or therapeutic procedures and cardiovascular diseases, interpreting the electrocardiograms, preparing patients for checkups, conducting patient's education, and following practice guidelines. Generic skills included communication and organizational skills, teamwork, and responsibility. Reaction time and attention span were the most assessed psychomotor abilities. Artificial lighting and radiation were the most important environmental risk factors. The most appropriate level of education for cardiovascular nursing was specialist graduate studies. The results of the study could be used to develop occupational standards for cardiovascular nursing and to guide the curriculum for the educational program development.

Elaboração de projeto pedagógico para preceptoria de enfermeiros em terapia intensiva cardiológica / Elaboration of a pedagogical project for preceptory nurses in intensive cardiological therapy / Elaboración de un proyecto pedagógico para enfermeras preceptorias en terapia cardiológica intensiva

Objetivo: relatar a elaboração de um projeto pedagógico em preceptoria para enfermeiros em terapia intensiva cardiológica. Método: estudo descritivo, exploratório, com abordagem qualitativa, do tipo relato de experiência, realizado em um Hospital Universitário Federal. Relato baseado na experiência de enfermeiras preceptoras em residência multiprofissional na área de concentração Enfermagem e atuantes na terapia intensiva cardiológica durante o ano de 2019. Resultados: a elaboração de um planejamento pedagógico para preceptoria de enfermeiros em terapia intensiva cardiológica contribui para sistematizar as atividades de estágio do residente, aprimorando o binômio teoria e prática, favorecendo assim, que os enfermeiros desenvolvam no exercício de sua profissão, atitudes reflexivas, críticas, humanitárias e éticas, com responsabilidade e competência para atuar em terapia intensiva cardiológica. Conclusão: por meio desse projeto pedagógico de estágio proporcionamos a melhoria da educação e formação dos residentes no âmbito da terapia intensiva cardiológica, bem como fomentamos a educação permanente e constante atualização.(AU)

Objective: to report the development of a pedagogical project in preceptorship for nurses in cardiac intensive care. Method: a descriptive, exploratory study with a qualitative approach, of the experience report type, carried out in a Federal University Hospital. Report based on the experience of preceptor nurses in multidisciplinary residency in the area of concentration Nursing and working in cardiac intensive care during 2019. Results: the elaboration of a pedagogical planning for preceptorship of nurses in cardiac intensive care contributes to systematize the internship activities of the resident, improving the binomial theory and practice, thus favoring that nurses develop reflexive, critical, humanitarian and ethical attitudes in the exercise of their profession, with responsibility and competence to work in cardiac intensive therapy. Conclusion: through this pedagogical internship project we provide the improvement of education and training of residents in the scope of cardiac intensive care, as well as promoting permanent education and constant updating.(AU)

Objetivo: informar la elaboración de un proyecto pedagógico en preceptoría para enfermeras en cuidados intensivos cardíacos. Método: estudio exploratorio descriptivo con enfoque cualitativo, del tipo de informe de experiencia, realizado en un Hospital de la Universidad Federal. Informe basado en la experiencia de las enfermeras preceptoras en residencia multiprofesional en el área de concentración Enfermería y activa en cuidados intensivos cardíacos durante 2019. Resultados: la elaboración de una planificación pedagógica para la preceptación de enfermeras en cuidados intensivos cardíacos contribuye a sistematizar las actividades de pasantía del residente, mejorando la teoría y la práctica binomial, favoreciendo así que las enfermeras desarrollen actitudes reflexivas, críticas, humanitarias y éticas en el ejercicio de su profesión, con responsabilidad y competencia para trabajar en terapia intensiva cardíaca. Conclusión: a través de este proyecto de pasantía pedagógica, brindamos la mejora de la educación y la capacitación de los residentes en el ámbito de la atención intensiva cardíaca, así como promovemos la educación permanente y la actualización constante.(AU)

Effects of training on knowledge and attitudes of coronary care unit nurses in relation to teamwork: A quasi-experimental study.

Teamwork has special significance in patient safety and quality of care in the coronary care units (CCUs). This study aimed to determine the impact of training on attitudes and knowledge of CCU nurses about teamwork. This quasi-experimental study was conducted in the CCUs of Al-Zahra Cardiovascular Hospital, Shiraz, Iran. Participants included 70 nurses with a mean age of 31.33 ± 4.56 years. They were divided into experimental and control groups. Data were collected at the baseline and one month after an intervention using a teamwork knowledge test and Teamwork Attitude Questionnaire. The intervention involved a 4-hour workshop on teamwork. Data were analyzed via SPSS 16.0, using descriptive statistics, chi-square, paired t-test, and independent samples t-test. The mean overall teamwork attitude score of the experimental group following intervention (125.5 ± 12.56) had statistically significant differences from the baseline (110.4 ± 12.6) and the mean score of the control group (112.11 ± 15.17) (P < .001). Furthermore, the mean scores of attitude dimensions improved significantly, except for mutual support and situation monitoring. In addition, in relation to teamwork knowledge, the experimental group had a significantly higher mean score after the intervention (18.6 ± 4.35) compared with the baseline (13.14 ± 4.25) and the control group (14.8 ± 4.07) (P < .001). Training improved knowledge and attitudes of CCU nurses in relation to teamwork. Considering the critical role of mutual support and situation monitoring in nursing performance, we should place more emphasis on them in nursing education and practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: IRCT2016080123199N2. Date registered 2016-09-22.

Unravelling heart failure nurses' education: Content comparison of heart failure nurses' education in three European Society of Cardiology states and the Heart Failure Association heart failure curriculum.

AIMS: The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines state that heart failure nurse specialists (heart-failure nurses) with specific competences are essential for a successful heart-failure-management programme. Thus, the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC developed the heart failure nurse curriculum (HFA curriculum). Several ESC member states developed cardiovascular education programmes to enable nurses to deliver high specialist care, but little is known of whether these curricula are in line with the HFA curriculum. Therefore, this paper describes the extent to which cardiovascular education programmes in Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany correspond to the HFA curriculum. METHODS AND RESULTS: A case study approach was adopted to obtain an in-depth understanding of the programme contents in relation to the HFA curriculum. For this purpose, representatives of the educational programmes and/or delegates of the national cardiovascular nursing organization shared their educational curricula. All of the studied cardiovascular education programmes aim to provide heart failure and/or cardiovascular nurses with essential competences for implementation of evidence based and guideline derived care. However, every cardiovascular education programme has a different focus/area of attention. Cardiovascular education in Belgium discusses aspects of all core-learning objectives of the HFA curriculum and emphasizes mostly knowledge aspects of these. Learning objectives in cardiovascular education in The Netherlands focus on chronic diseases in general and on learning objectives concerning patient education, support in self-care and management of device and pharmacological therapy. Cardiovascular education in Germany discusses most learning objectives; however, not all learning objectives receive equal attention. CONCLUSIONS: Although local cardiovascular education programmes adopt certain aspects of the HF curriculum, the curriculum as a whole is not adopted.

An mHealth intervention to improve nurses' atrial fibrillation and anticoagulation knowledge and practice: the EVICOAG study.

BACKGROUND: There is a need to improve cardiovascular nurses' knowledge and practices related to stroke prevention, atrial fibrillation and anticoagulation therapy. AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of EVICOAG - a novel mHealth, smartphone-based, spaced-learning intervention on nurses' knowledge of atrial fibrillation and anticoagulation. METHODS: Nurses employed in four clinical specialties (neuroscience, stroke, rehabilitation, cardiology) across three hospitals were invited to participate. In this quasi-experimental study, 12 case-based atrial fibrillation and anticoagulation learning scenarios (hosted by an mHealth platform) were delivered to participants' smartphones over a 6-week period (July-December 2016) using a spaced timing algorithm. Electronic surveys to assess awareness and knowledge were administered pre (T1) and post (T2) intervention. RESULTS: From 74 participants recruited to T1, 40 completed T2. There was a 54% mean improvement in knowledge levels post-intervention. The largest improvement was achieved in domains related to medication interaction and stroke and bleeding risk assessment. Post-intervention, those who completed T2 were significantly more likely to use CHA2DS2-VASc (2.5% vs. 37.5%) and HAS-BLED (2.5% vs. 35%) tools to assess stroke and bleeding risk, respectively ( P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The EVICOAG intervention improved nurses' knowledge of atrial fibrillation and anticoagulation, and influenced their uptake and use of stroke and bleeding risk assessment tools in clinical practice. Future research should focus on whether a similar intervention might improve patient-centred outcomes such as patients' knowledge of their condition and therapies, medication adherence, time in the therapeutic range and quality of life.

Problems associated with performance of peripheral intravenous catheterization in relation to working experience.

The aim of this study was to explore general registered nurses' (RNs) assessments of problems associated with difficult peripheral intravenous catheterization (PIVC) depending on their years of working experience, that is, those who had worked 3 years or less and those who had worked more than 3 years. The design was a quantitative, nonexperimental, descriptive, and analytic survey. The participating RNs (n = 83) were divided into two groups according to the length of their working experience, and the analysis was performed using the SPSS, version 24, software. The RNs also had the opportunity to answer a free-text question related to the aim. The results showed that less experienced RNs assessed to a significantly higher extent that they lacked time, experience, and ability and that there was no blood return; however, they assessed that the peripheral venous catheters were in the vein. If critical care nurses had been requested for support earlier, this request was seen as a reason not to try PIVC at all because critical care nurses were assessed as more experienced and skilled. To develop the kind of effective problem-solving and clinical reasoning needed for practice, a supportive setting must be created throughout nursing education as well as after graduation. Further research should focus on the education needs associated with PIVC and seek to understand to what extent learning in clinical skill simulation laboratories is transferred to actions in the clinical setting.

Effects of simulation-based educational program in improving the nurses' self-efficacy in caring for patients' with COPD and CHF in a post-acute care (PACU) setting.

The 2014 national percentage for 30-day readmissions among Medicare recipients from Post-Acute Care Unit (PACU) showed: Heart Failure (HF) with major complications and co-morbidities, an average of 24.09%, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) with complications and co-morbidities 23.12%. The percentage of readmissions for New Jersey among PACU showed: HF with major complications and co-morbidities, an average of 24.40% and COPD 26.35% (Avalere Health, 2014). For this study site, the hospital readmission rate was not specifically broken down according to condition/diagnosis. Overall, the hospital readmission rate was approximately 20%. A few percent lower than the national and state average, but still a considerable number. This study is significant in finding out whether a simulation based educational program will increase the nurses' self-efficacy in caring for these patients. The positive outcome of this study can provide a template for training PACU nurses to aid in decreasing hospital readmissions in this vulnerable population. The simulation-based educational program was approximately 5h in length, and it was divided into two parts, a presentation on HF and COPD, and the actual simulation scenario, using a low-fidelity manikin (LFM). There were approximately 20 Registered nurses as participants but 4 did not complete the post-simulation self-efficacy scale, and the 16 were included in the actual study. This study was able to define the effects of simulation-based educational program on the RNs self-efficacy in caring for COPD and HF patients. The participants' demographic information, i.e. age, educational attainment, years of experience, and previous work experience, did not show any differences in how much the nurses' self-efficacy improved. The post-simulation self-efficacy score of the participants showed approximately 5% increase compared to the pre-simulation score. The outcome of the study concluded the simulation-based educational program as having a significant effect on the participants' self-efficacy post-simulation.

Implementing a Cardiac Skills Orientation and Simulation Program.

Patients with cardiac morbidities admitted for cardiac surgical procedures require perioperative nurses with a high level of complex nursing skills. Orienting new cardiac team members takes commitment and perseverance in light of variable staffing levels, high-acuity patient populations, an active cardiac surgical schedule, and the unpredictability of scheduling patients undergoing cardiac transplantation. At an academic medical center in Boston, these issues presented opportunities to orient new staff members to the scrub person role, but hampered efforts to provide active learning opportunities in a safe environment. As a result, facility personnel created a program to increase new staff members' skills, confidence, and proficiency, while also increasing the number of staff members who were proficient at scrubbing complex cardiac procedures. To address the safe learning requirement, personnel designed a simulation program to provide scrubbing experience, decrease orientees' supervision time, and increase staff members' confidence in performing the scrub person role.

European cardiovascular nurses' and allied professionals' knowledge and practical skills regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

PURPOSE: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) remains a cornerstone in the treatment of cardiac arrest, and is directly linked to survival rates. Nurses are often first responders and need to be skilled in the performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. As cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills deteriorate rapidly, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether there was an association between participants' cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and their practical cardiopulmonary resuscitation test results. METHODS: This comparative study was conducted at the 2014 EuroHeartCare meeting in Stavanger ( n=133) and the 2008 Spring Meeting on Cardiovascular Nursing in Malmö ( n=85). Participants performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation for three consecutive minutes CPR training manikins from Laerdal Medical®. Data were collected with a questionnaire on demographics and participants' level of cardiopulmonary resuscitation training. RESULTS: Most participants were female (78%) nurses (91%) from Nordic countries (77%), whose main role was in nursing practice (63%), and 71% had more than 11 years' experience ( n=218). Participants who conducted cardiopulmonary resuscitation training once a year or more ( n=154) performed better regarding ventilation volume than those who trained less (859 ml vs. 1111 ml, p=0.002). Those who had cardiopulmonary resuscitation training offered at their workplace ( n=161) also performed better regarding ventilation volume (889 ml vs. 1081 ml, p=0.003) and compression rate per minute (100 vs. 91, p=0.04) than those who had not. CONCLUSION: Our study indicates a positive association between participants' performance on the practical cardiopulmonary resuscitation test and the frequency of cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and whether cardiopulmonary resuscitation training was offered in the workplace. Large ventilation volumes were the most common error at both measuring points.

Innovative Approach to Senior Practicum Students.

BACKGROUND: Traditional senior practicum experiences (SPEs) are microsystem based-they allow senior nursing students the opportunity to build professional nursing competencies as they transition into practice. As health care transformation continues unabated, there is a need to work toward closing the gap between nursing academia and nursing practice. METHOD: A cardiovascular service line created an innovative SPE to better prepare senior nursing students for working as professional nurses in a service line model. RESULTS: The Senior Practicum Immersion Experience (SPIE) proved to be beneficial to senior practicum students and offered firsthand experience of the role professional nurses play in a service line model. This model increased the number of senior practicum students accepted into the cardiac service line by 50%. CONCLUSION: The SPIE creates an innovative solution to increasing the number of senior practicum students while allowing students the ability to learn and practice in a service line model. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(12):745-747.].

Development and Evaluation of a Continuing Education Program for Nursing Technicians at a Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit in a Developing Country.

BACKGROUND: The nursing profession faces continuous transformations demonstrating the importance of professional continuing education to extend knowledge following technological development without impairing quality of care. Nursing assistants and technicians account for nearly 80% of nursing professionals in Brazil and are responsible for uninterrupted patient care. Extensive knowledge improvement is needed to achieve excellence in nursing care. The objective was to develop and evaluate a continuing education program for nursing technicians at a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU) using a virtual learning environment entitled EDUCATE. METHODS: From July to September 2015, a total of 24 nursing technicians working at the PCICU at a children's hospital located in the northwestern region of São Paulo state (Brazil) fully participated in the continuing education program developed in a virtual learning environment using Wix platform, allowing access to video classes and pre- and post-training theoretical evaluation questionnaires outside the work environment. The evaluation tools recorded participants' knowledge evolution, technological difficulties, educational, and overall rating. RESULTS: Knowledge development was descriptively presented as positive in more than 66.7%. Content and training were considered "excellent" by most participants and 90% showed an interest in the use of technological resources. Technical difficulties were found and quickly resolved by 40% of participants including Internet access, login, and lack of technical expertise. CONCLUSION: The continuing education program using a virtual learning environment positively contributed to the improvement in theoretical knowledge of nursing technicians in PCICU.

Educational Preparation, Roles, and Competencies to Guide Career Development for Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurses.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac rehabilitation is one of the most widely recommended strategies to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease. The multicomponent nature of cardiac rehabilitation programs requires a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals including nurses who are equipped with extensive knowledge and skills. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive, explicit career pathway that contains academic and clinical development to prepare nurses to become cardiac rehabilitation specialists. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to identify the 3 essential components for cardiac rehabilitation professionals: (1) educational preparation, (2) role/responsibility, and (3) competency to inform the framework of career development for cardiac rehabilitation nurses. METHODS: Through scoping review, 4 stages from the methodological framework of scoping review by Arksey and O'Malley (Int J Soc Methodol. 2005;8:19-32) were used. RESULTS: Some attempts have been made in developing frameworks of career development for cardiac rehabilitation professionals with these 3 components through guidelines/standards and core curriculum development worldwide, among which the United States is the only country with a well-established system including guidelines for cardiac rehabilitation/secondary prevention programs, a position statement in terms of competencies, and certification examination for cardiac rehabilitation professionals. Nevertheless, further development and integration of these efforts, specifically for cardiac rehabilitation nurses, are required. CONCLUSIONS: It is vital to raise the awareness of the significant contribution that appropriately educated and trained nurses make in reducing the global burden of cardiovascular disease through cardiac rehabilitation. Therefore, action on establishing a system of comprehensive, clearly defined career development pathway for cardiac rehabilitation nurses worldwide is of immediate priority.

Knowledge and practice in cardiovascular disease prevention among hospital registered nurses: a cross-sectional study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the knowledge and clinical practices of cardiovascular disease prevention among registered nurses who worked on three major clinical units in Beijing hospitals. BACKGROUND: Health education on cardiovascular disease prevention is an important component of nursing practice; however, Chinese registered nurses' knowledge and practice patterns have been poorly explored in previous studies. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: A stratified random sample of three hundred registered nurses was recruited from two tertiary hospitals in Beijing, China. A validated questionnaire was used to examine nurses' knowledge of cardiovascular disease risk factors, their practices and perceived barriers to cardiovascular disease prevention-related patient education. The differences in knowledge of cardiovascular disease risk factors and the practice pattern associated with cardiovascular disease prevention were compared among nurses who worked on three major clinical units. RESULTS: Questionnaires were completed by 273 registered nurses with a response rate of 91%. More than 75% of the registered nurses knew the cardiovascular disease risk factors; however, less than half knew the right target goals for cardiovascular disease risk factors. Notably, fewer than 70% of registered nurses routinely provided health education for cardiovascular disease prevention during their practice. There was inconsistency between registered nurses' knowledge of target goals for cardiovascular disease risk reduction and their education practices on cardiovascular disease prevention. The three major barriers to providing cardiovascular disease risk factor preventive education were lack of time, patients' reluctance to change lifestyle and lack of physicians' support. CONCLUSIONS: Not all of the registered nurses were motivated to educate and encourage patients to engage healthy lifestyle changes, even though most of them were knowledgeable about cardiovascular disease risk factors. A gap between the knowledge and practice for the prevention of cardiovascular disease was identified. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The findings highlight the need to advocate for knowledge application and address knowledge deficits in the area of cardiovascular disease prevention among registered nurses.

Knowledge of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Purpose and Function Among Nurses in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Nurses play a crucial role in patient education and adaptation to having an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess cardiology nurses' knowledge and confidence in providing education and support to ICD recipients. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was used to assess nurses' knowledge and experience caring for ICD recipients in 2 academic medical centers in the Pacific Northwest, using an instrument developed in 2004 in the United Kingdom. RESULTS: Nurses (N = 74) worked on cardiology units or clinics, primarily held a baccalaureate degree or higher (85%), and had 16 years or more of nursing experience and 6 to 10 years of cardiology experience. The overall average knowledge score was 77%, with knowledge about modern ICD technology averaging 55%. Nurses' confidence, using 10-point scale, in preparing patients to receive an ICD implant was 6.32 ± 2.56, for preparing patients for discharge was 6.14 ± 2.43, and for providing education about ICD shocks was 6.63 ± 2.50. Nurses were most knowledgeable about factors that affect patient retention of knowledge and ICD-related environmental hazards. Nurses lacked knowledge about the basic ICD components, purpose of cardiac resynchronization, and dual-chamber ICDs. Factors associated with higher knowledge scores included past experience caring for a patient with an ICD and working in an electrophysiology outpatient clinic. CONCLUSIONS: The ICD knowledge of US nurses in 2015 was similar to that reported in the United Kingdom in 2004, with limited knowledge about the complexities of modern ICD devices. Such deficits in knowledge may affect the quality of education provided to ICD recipients in preparing them to live safely with an ICD.

Use of 3D models of congenital heart disease as an education tool for cardiac nurses.

BACKGROUND: Nurse education and training are key to providing congenital heart disease (CHD) patients with consistent high standards of care as well as enabling career progression. One approach for improving educational experience is the use of 3D patient-specific models. OBJECTIVES: To gather pilot data to assess the feasibility of using 3D models of CHD during a training course for cardiac nurses; to evaluate the potential of 3D models in this context, from the nurses' perspective; and to identify possible improvements to optimise their use for teaching. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey. SETTING: A national training week for cardiac nurses. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred cardiac nurses (of which 65 pediatric and 35 adult). METHODS: Nurses were shown nine CHD models within the context of a specialized course, following a lecture on the process of making the models themselves, starting from medical imaging. Participants were asked about their general learning experience, if models were more/less informative than diagrams/drawings and lesion-specific/generic models, and their overall reaction to the models. Possible differences between adult and pediatric nurses were investigated. Written feedback was subjected to content analysis and quantitative data were analyzed using nonparametric statistics. RESULTS: Generally models were well liked and nurses considered them more informative than diagrams. Nurses found that 3D models helped in the appreciation of overall anatomy (86%), spatial orientation (70%), and anatomical complexity after treatment (66%). There was no statistically significant difference between adult and pediatric nurses' responses. Thematic analysis highlighted the need for further explanation, use of labels and use of colors to highlight the lesion of interest amongst improvements for optimizing 3D models for teaching/training purposes. CONCLUSION: 3D patient-specific models are useful tools for training adult and pediatric cardiac nurses and are particularly helpful for understanding CHD anatomy after repair.

Perceptions of Bedside Cardiac Critical Care Registered Nurses on 24 Hour Attending Intensivist Coverage.

OBJECTIVE: To elicit the perceptions of bedside critical care nurses toward continual in-house attending coverage and its effect on patient safety, communication, and nursing education. DESIGN: A 5-point Likert-type questionnaire was designed to evaluate the perception of bedside nurses in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU) toward the presence of a 24 hour in-house attending physician. SETTING: Single tertiary referral PCICU in Washington, DC SUBJECTS: The 46 PCICU nurses who participated in the study were separated into two groups based on exposure to the recent implementation of continual in-house attending coverage at our institution. Group one consisted of 14 nurses with only exposure to the new 24/7 in-house coverage while group two encompassed 32 nurses who had experienced both the new and old system (off-site on-demand attending physician). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Surveys demonstrated that both groups found that the new system has a positive impact on nursing education (median score of 5) as well as a positive impact on the communication between multidisciplinary teams and between care team and families (median score of 5). Nurses who experienced only the new system scored one point lower (median score of 4) regarding the effect of this staffing model on patient outcomes than nurses who had experienced both systems (median score of 5, P = .016). Between 83% and 98% of all 46 nurses who participated indicated they agree or strongly agree with each of the questions regarding the benefit of 24 hour in-house attending coverage. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that regardless of differences in experience, pediatric cardiac nurses believe the presence of an on-site intensivist to be beneficial to both nursing and patients.