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Touting Education for Cardiovascular Health
profession of nursing is in a critical stage as the nation’s nursing shortage is crippling our health care system’s ability to deliver quality health care. What many do not realize is that there are 66,000 men and women waiting to get into nursing programs—while there are too few nursing faculty to meet the need. I am presently in school, obtaining a master’s degree in hope of teaching. Because of having been named in a lawsuit, I am unable to obtain private malpractice coverage, required by many schools of nursing to teach. “The emotional toll is immense on nurses who are involved in lawsuits whether or not they have done anything wrong. We need liability reform that promotes patient’s rights while protecting health care providers.” For further information on this issue and other health policy and reform issues, go to “Legislation & Health Policy” at www.awhonn.org.
Touting Education for Cardiovascular Health WHONN recently presented its “Cardiovascular Health for Women: Evaluation of an Education and Awareness Initiative” at the American Heart Association’s 2nd International Conference on Women, Heart Diseases, and Stroke, held in February in Orlando. The conference explores the reasons for the disturbing trends that most impact the progression of cardiovascular diseases and provides state-of-the art aspects of the behavioral and pharmacological and public policy approaches to the prevention, treatment and management of these diseases. AWHONN Director of Research, Education and Publications, Karen Peddicord, RNC, PhD, presented the AWHONN initiative, which demonstrates that implementing an evidencebased guideline for cardiovascular risk reduction resulted in:
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• Reduced tobacco use • Improved self-reported healthier eating behavior • Increased exercise The findings of the AWHONN study supported that the interventions the nurses used from
April | May 2005
the organization’s evidence-based guidelines coincided with improved lifestyle changes for women through the course of the study, with more than one-third of the women who smoked managing to reduce their tobacco use. The proportion of women who smoked within the sample were more willing to quit as the interventions continued: with 88.6 percent initially willing to quit and 100 percent willing to quit by the fourth follow-up. The reported frequency of most of the healthy dietary behaviors increased substantially from 34.1 percent to 80.74 percent from initiation to follow–up, which was statistically significant (p < .001). There was also a significant increase (p < .004) in exercise behavior from 33.1 percent to 54.7 percent from initiation to last follow-up visit. Several nurses involved in the intervention reported improved practice from introducing the planned intervention, with a positive outcome for the patient. Women made positive changes that reduced their overall risk for heart disease through the three to four follow-up contacts, suggesting that the continued intervention by a nurse makes a difference. Peddicord stressed that based on these findings, an educational program aimed at increasing nurses’ knowledge about evidence-based guidelines for cardiovascular health and strategies for implementation seems to be efficacious in creating changes in patients’ self-reported behaviors important to preventing cardiovascular disease. The study speaks to the improved patient outcomes that can be realized by the implementation of an evidence-based guideline regarding preventing heart disease in women. Funding for this project provided by an unrestricted educational grant from Pfizer.
More than one-third of the women who smoked managed to reduce their tobacco use
Members in the News enee Jones, a clinical nurse specialist for Labor & Delivery and High Risk Obstetrics at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, is the recipient of the second annual March of Dimes Texas Chapter Excellence in Obstetric Nursing Award for 2004. Jones was lauded for her open and honest communication style, which has fostered a positive working relationship between obstetric families and the health care
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AWHONN Lifelines
167
Touting Education for Cardiovascular Health WHONN recently presented its “Cardiovascular Health for Women: Evaluation of an Education and Awareness Initiative” at the American Heart Association’s 2nd International Conference on Women, Heart Diseases, and Stroke, held in February in Orlando. The conference explores the reasons for the disturbing trends that most impact the progression of cardiovascular diseases and provides state-of-the art aspects of the behavioral and pharmacological and public policy approaches to the prevention, treatment and management of these diseases. AWHONN Director of Research, Education and Publications, Karen Peddicord, RNC, PhD, presented the AWHONN initiative, which demonstrates that implementing an evidencebased guideline for cardiovascular risk reduction resulted in:
A
• Reduced tobacco use • Improved self-reported healthier eating behavior • Increased exercise The findings of the AWHONN study supported that the interventions the nurses used from
April | May 2005
the organization’s evidence-based guidelines coincided with improved lifestyle changes for women through the course of the study, with more than one-third of the women who smoked managing to reduce their tobacco use. The proportion of women who smoked within the sample were more willing to quit as the interventions continued: with 88.6 percent initially willing to quit and 100 percent willing to quit by the fourth follow-up. The reported frequency of most of the healthy dietary behaviors increased substantially from 34.1 percent to 80.74 percent from initiation to follow–up, which was statistically significant (p < .001). There was also a significant increase (p < .004) in exercise behavior from 33.1 percent to 54.7 percent from initiation to last follow-up visit. Several nurses involved in the intervention reported improved practice from introducing the planned intervention, with a positive outcome for the patient. Women made positive changes that reduced their overall risk for heart disease through the three to four follow-up contacts, suggesting that the continued intervention by a nurse makes a difference. Peddicord stressed that based on these findings, an educational program aimed at increasing nurses’ knowledge about evidence-based guidelines for cardiovascular health and strategies for implementation seems to be efficacious in creating changes in patients’ self-reported behaviors important to preventing cardiovascular disease. The study speaks to the improved patient outcomes that can be realized by the implementation of an evidence-based guideline regarding preventing heart disease in women. Funding for this project provided by an unrestricted educational grant from Pfizer.
More than one-third of the women who smoked managed to reduce their tobacco use
Members in the News enee Jones, a clinical nurse specialist for Labor & Delivery and High Risk Obstetrics at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, is the recipient of the second annual March of Dimes Texas Chapter Excellence in Obstetric Nursing Award for 2004. Jones was lauded for her open and honest communication style, which has fostered a positive working relationship between obstetric families and the health care
R
AWHONN Lifelines
167