This Team of RNs identified a need for our patients with heart failure to be managed appropriately in Ambulatory Care. They worked collaboratively with many areas to develop a Heart Failure patient teaching booklet and toolkit that is complete and appropriately referenced for current EBP. They worked extensively with VISN experts to ensure that it was written at the appropriate educational level and met all of the Federal requirements for patient education. This clearly written teaching tool, accompanied with clinical drawings provides the basis for interactive conversations/teaching/learning among patients, families, and providers. They have led an HF initiative with the potential to Enhance the quality of patients' lives, thus decreasing pain and suffering, Decrease recidivism rates, Decrease LOS, Decrease ED visits, Increase education and communication among patients/family and the FHCC Congestive Heart Failure(CHF) clinic staff, Decrease number of FHCC HF patients referred to the community due to "no beds available", All of this will enhance patient flow, thus opening beds for admissions. They have sponsored a very successful HF Fair for the RNs in August and an HF Patient Fair in September that was attended by over 200 clinicians and patients. At the personal request of Interim Director, Dr. Daniel Zomchek, the HF Toolkit initiative was presented to him. He was so impressed with the breadth and depth of the Toolkit education that had been developed by this team, he requested the information be sent to him to take back to his VAMC in Milwaukee. This team also accepted the lead on our successful February Heart month education session ensuring that all the patients and staff at the FHCC were introduce to the healthy living messages called Life's Simple 7: Get active, Control Cholesterol, Eat Better, Manage Blood Pressure, Lose Weight, Reduce Blood Sugar and Stop Smoking.
In summary, this program is extremely well done, it brings pride to FHCC and demonstrates how our nurses continuously go above and beyond to be Patient Centered in their care and knowledge. They provide the utmost care to all we serve assuring the best possible clinical outcomes by implementing EBP in a manner that is both science and art; human connectivity at its finest!