Reducing Heart Failure Hospital Readmissions from Skilled Nursing Facilities
Professional Case Management, January/February 2011
One of the core measures of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid and the Joint Commission is readmission rates for heart failure patients. Learn how nurse case management developed a follow-up phone call process to decrease readmission to an urban Midwestern medical center.
Heart Beats: Understanding Bundle-Branch Blocks
Nursing2010 Critical Care, November 2010
Learn to recognize left and right bundle-branch blocks (BBBs), hemiblocks, and incomplete BBBs. Review characteristics common to all blocks and findings specific to each type.
Experiences of Driving and Driving Restrictions in Recipients with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator-The Patient Perspective
Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, November/December 2010
Individuals with an ICD are prohibited from driving for a restricted period after implantation and/or shock. How does this impact quality of life? Find out how patients perceive driving and what they think about this restriction.
Lab Logic: BNP and Heart Failure: What is the Connection?
The Nurse Practitioner: The American Journal of Primary Health Care, January 2011
Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and the N-terminal portion of its precursor form (NT-proBNP) are cardiac neurohormones produced by the ventricular myocardium. They are markers of ventricular dysfunction and provide valuable information to help diagnose and monitor the severity of heart failure.
Depression Takes Its Toll on Patients with Heart Failure
Nursing2010 Critical Care, January 2011
Depression in patients with heart failure increases the risk of premature death. Early detection can help improve quality of life and increase survival. Learn important assessment skills and physiologic contributions to depression.