MAINTAINING THE BALANCE - NURSING-CARE OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEART-FAILURE

Nurses in different settings are involved in caring for patients with heart failure. In the clinic, hospital, nursing home or patients' home , the nurse has a role in detecting, identifying and treating heart fa ilure. In order to provide optimal care, literature on possible and ef fective interventions should be available to nurses. This study gives an overview of nursing care for patients with heart failure as describ ed in practice, literature and standard nursing care plans. Based on i nterviews of 45 nurses, a review of all pertinent literature published between 1983 and 1993 and a review of standard nursing care plans use d in the Netherlands to care for patients with heart failure, four com posite themes emerged; namely, basic nursing care, assessment and obse rvation, symptom-relieving interventions, and patient education. Carin g for patients with heart failure is very complex and is often aimed a t keeping a very delicate balance between, e.g. rest and activity, flu id intake and elimination, and therapeutic cost and benefit. Treatment strategies for optimizing care for these patients are described. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.