Case study:

23 January 2009

Community Nurses Study Day – Improving awareness of heart failure and end of life care in North West London

Key points

NW London Cardiac and Stroke Network has put on a series of study days for community nurses to raise awareness of heart failure and end of life care.

The programme consists of two workshops, which offer an introduction to the diagnosis and management of heart failure and to end of life issues. The talks, given by heart failure and palliative nurses, are illustrated by case studies and provide a platform for discussion between the audience and experts.

From July to November 2007 135 delegates consisting of community matrons, practice nurses, hospice nurses, home care staff and other specialist nurses were invited to attend the study days. A total of seven sessions took place across NW London with 83 nurses taking part.

Most participants were enthusiastic about the study days and particularly appreciated the combination of heart failure with end of life care issues. The elements they found most useful were:

Understanding what heart failure is

Managing end-stage heart failure patients

Building up knowledge

Information on New York classification

Helping families to cope

Networking and discussion

In future they would like more regular study days. They also want longer sessions with more focus on drugs and side effects as well as sessions on other related areas such as diabetes, hypertension, COPD and pacemakers/devices.

A further evaluation three months after the sessions ended showed that most (of a small sample) felt that what they learnt was making a difference to the way they now worked. They felt more confident in dealing with end-stage heart failure patients and were able to reassure them.They had also been able to share the information they had gained from the study day with colleagues and other health care professionals.

Many participants have attended other related training/workshops as a result of attending these sessions. As a result of the study day over half the participants have been in contact with the network requesting further information or had support from specialist services in helping end-stage heart failure patients. But only a small number of nurses said they had developed documentation as a result of the study day.

An evaluation report has been sent to each PCT across the sector to emphasise the need to educate community staff in managing end-stage heart failure patients.Requests for further study days have prompted the network to set up more events across the sector.