Canadian Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing

Many studies show that men make specific lifestyle choices. However, regarding high blood pressure (HBP), guidelines are without distinction for gender. The purpose of this project is to explore the men's experience with HBP. Using a phenomenological design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten men living with HBP to explore beliefs and perceptions of men living with HBP. The main framework used is the health belief model. Two themes emerged: the meaning given to HBP (an unavoidable disease, the trivialization of HBP et HBP as synonymous of stress) and the management of this illness (the notion of control, the paradox of knowing about what to do and implementation of healthy lifestyle, relationship with health professionals)...

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BACKGROUND: Hypertension occurs when regulatory mechanisms fail, resulting in increased cardiac output (CO) and/or increased systemic vascular resistance (SVR). Impedance cardiography (ICG) is a non-invasive technology that measures CO and SVR. OBJECTIVE: To assess the literature related to the use of ICG in guiding the selection of anti-hypertensive medications in individuals with hypertension. DESIGN: PubMed and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases were searched for pertinent literature...

Cardiovascular nursing research covers a wide array of topics from health services to psychosocial patient experiences. The selection of specific participant samples is an important part of the research design and process. The sampling strategy employed is of utmost importance to ensure that a representative sample of participants is chosen. There are two main categories of sampling methods: probability and non-probability. Probability sampling is the random selection of elements from the population, where each element of the population has an equal and independent chance of being included in the sample...

BACKGROUND: Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation rates are increasing as advances in heart failure and arrhythmia management progress. Consequently, the number of ICD generator replacements is rising and ICD replacement is an opportune time for shared decision-making (SDM). Nurses should have distinct roles and responsibilities in SDM processes. OBJECTIVES: To use a relational lens to localize the role of the nurse in SDM, and recommend ways in which nurses can be involved in SDM...

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BACKGROUND: Cardiac pain and/or discomfort arising from acute coronary syndromes (ACS) can often be severe and anxiety-provoking. Cardiac pain, a symptom of impaired myocardial perfusion, if left untreated, may lead to further myocardial hypoxia, which can potentiate myocardial damage. Evidence suggests that once ACS patients are stabilized, their pain may not be adequately assessed. Lack of knowledge and problematic beliefs about pain may contribute to this problem. To date, no standardized tools are available to examine nurses' specific knowledge and beliefs about ACS pain that could inform future educational initiatives...

In this column, I will provide a general overview to the indications and basic chest radiograph features such as density, views and technical quality. A systematic approach to radiographic interpretation is outlined. This proposed approach follows anatomical structures organized in alphabetical order (airway, bone, cardiac, diaphragm, extras and frame), while considering a range of pathophysiological findings. Common cardiovascular findings reviewed include atelectasis, pneumothorax, pleural effusions, congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema, consolidation and pneumonia...

The focus group research method has been used in a variety of settings over the years. The method of using group interviews was described as long ago as 1926. Focus groups have been used by large corporations to gather the public's opinions regarding their products. In the past 20 years the focus group method has been increasingly used in health care research in a variety of settings. Researchers use the focus group method in order to obtain in-depth knowledge concerning attitudes, perceptions, beliefs and opinions of individuals regarding a specific health issue...

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) places great financial strain on the health care system and dramatically affects individual quality of life. As primary health care providers, nurse practitioners (NPs) are ideally positioned to advise clients on risk factor and lifestyle modifications that ameliorate the impact of CVD. While the lifestyle targets for CVD prevention are established, the most effective means of achieving these goals remain uncertain. Behaviour modification strategies, including motivational interviewing (MI) and the transtheoretical model (TTM), have been suggested, but neither approach is established as being more efficacious than the other...

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No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac rehabilitation programs (CRP) entail beneficial changes for the majority of participants with heart problems. However, only 21% to 41% of those patients participate in such programs. GOAL: The goal of this study was to identify modifable and non-modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, as well as perceptions of illness that affect the participation of patients with cardiovascular problems in CRPs. METHOD: Thirty individuals with a cardiovascular disease participated in this exploratory, quantitative study...

The social determinants of health (SDH) are recognized as a prominent influence on health outcomes across the lifespan. Racism is identified as a key SDH. In this article, the authors describe the concept of racism as an SDH, its impact in discriminatory actions and inactions, and the implications for cardiovascular nurses. Although research in Canada on the links among racism, stress, and cardiovascular disease is limited, there is growing evidence about the stress of racism and its long-term impact on cardiovascular health...

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Patients are often sent home with complex discharge plans that can become overwhelming and difficult to follow. By contrast, implementing effective teaching at the time of discharge can lead to a decrease in the rate of hospital readmissions and mortality for patients post discharge (Koelling, Johnson, Cody, & Aaronson, 2005). Unfortunately, many of the discharge teaching practices and programs used in health care settings have been criticized as being ineffective. Ensuring that patients are prepared for the transition from hospital to home after a cardiac event will require a fundamental shift in how teaching is performed in acute care settings...

Survivors of ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest have poor and often devastating neurological outcomes despite advances in resuscitation techniques and services (Bernard et al., 2002; Collins & Samworth, 2008). In an effort to increase survival rates, improve neurological outcomes and reduce mortality for surviving patients, clinical trials have shown that a mild state of therapeutic hypothermia (32 degrees C to 34 degrees C) has been linked to improved patient outcomes post cardiac arrest (Koran, 2008; Lee & Asare, 2010)...

The first of this two-part article on heart sounds was in the Spring 2013 issue of the Canadian Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing (Reimer-Kent, 2013). Part 1 emphasized the importance of all nurses having an understanding of heart sounds and being proficient in cardiac auscultation. The article also focused on an overview of the fundamentals of cardiac auscultation and basic heart sounds. This article provides an overview of the anatomy and pathophysiology related to valvular heart disease and describes the array of heart sounds associated with stenotic or regurgitant aortic and mitral valve conditions...

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BACKGROUND: The goal of this pilot study was to examine the effects of a structured interdisciplinary education program on blood pressure, knowledge, anthropometric measures, medication compliance, behavioural risk factors and quality of life. METHOD: In this quasi-experimental study, participants were assigned to an intervention (n = 21) or a regular care group (n = 19). The intervention group attended four weekly sessions related to hypertension. Anthropometric measures and blood pressure were recorded at baseline, one, three and six months for all participants...