Description and development of a nurse-led cardiac assessment team

Abstract

A problem was identified where patient care was affected because of delays in receiving specialist cardiology input. This report describes the experience of developing a specialist cardiac assessment where senior cardiac nurses were trained to provide a 24-hour presence in the emergency department (ED). We describe the service and our evaluation of the service. These dedicated specialised nurses can optimise patient management including admission or safely discharge patients with relevant follow-up when necessary. The team also runs three clinics per week with consultant support. The team of 10 nurses provides a cardiology opinion to approximately 400 patients a month in the ED and 100 patients a month in the acute medical unit (AMU). Eighty-seven per cent of patients are seen in the ED within 30 minutes of referral. Approximately 40% of patients reviewed are accepted directly into cardiology beds thus avoiding admission to the AMU. It has been estimated that 6 bed-days are saved each day, which translated to an estimated £400,000 each year. The team also provides outpatient rapid access services which generates £121,792 income for the directorate. We demonstrate that a cardiac nurse assessment team can provide a cost-effective 24-hour presence in the ED. ABSTRACT hospitals, accounting for 10% of all inpatient episodes among men and 6.2% among women. 2 Pressures on hospital resources has led to a need for early specialist review so as to improve the patient journey and reduce unnecessary admissions.

Ativação Da via Verde Coronária Na Região Autónoma Da Madeira: Estudo De Coorte

“…A interpretação dos resultados foi realizada através de gráficos e estatística descritiva. (Kwok et al, 2020).…”

Advanced Practice Nursing in Cardiology: The Slovak Perspective for the Role Development and Implementation

“…Kwok et al (2020) described an innovative nurse-led cardiology assessment service that has improved standards and cares for patients with acute cardiology conditions. They showed an effectiveness of the service, with the ability reduce the time taken to receive a specialist opinion, length of stay and costs to the health service [17].…”

“…These are relevant results; however, it is important to understand that an APN in Cardiology is not a substitute for a medical doctor. Pillars of practice go beyond this, as APNs are leaders, experts, and consultants in their clinical practice [15][16][17][18][19]. Solving issues of individual competencies of nurses can contribute to a quality and recognized partnership between the nurse and the medical doctor.…”

Commentary: The development and randomised feasibility trial of a Nurse-led lifestyle modification follow-up programme among post-myocardial infarction patients

“…In developed countries, studies on cardiac rehabilitation dates to the 1990s, where early interventions regarding dietary advice, smoking cessation and lifestyle adjustments are well identified (Thompson et al, 1996). Moreover, specialist cardiac nurses have a role in patient care from their first presentation in the emergency department (Kwok et al, 2020). Hence, it would seem a reasonable assumption that over the last 33 years this approach had been emulated worldwide.…”