Nurses Actions in Managing Risk Factors for Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease

Abstract

According to World Health Organization (WHO), globally, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a significant health concern, responsible for 30% of all deaths. Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the most prevalent chronic, progressive and life-threatening disease and is one of the most common causes of hospitalization in adults. The most common cause of cardiovascular pathology is atherosclerosis, which is a chronic progression for many years and is exactly the clinic in the average age. Mortality due to coronary heart disease and stroke in Lithuania is one of the largest in Europe. It is also important to resolve risk factors in order to enhance the health condition of the population and reduce cardiovascular disease mortality. Problem of the research: what are the nurses’ actions for managing risk factors for patients with ischemic heart disease? Aim of the research: to identify the nurses’ actions in managing risk factors of ischemic heart disease in practice. Objectives of the research: 1. To review a theoretical background of the ischemic heart disease, its cause, symptoms, risk factors and the needed nurses’ actions of prevention; 2. To evaluate the knowledge of nurses working with the patients with IHD about the disease, including risk factors and the measures of prevention; 3. To determine the nursing actions for patients with ischemic heart disease and the frequency of these actions. Research methods: a quantitative research, using an anonymous questionnaire, which consisted of 18 questions. 30 nurses, working with patients with ischemic heart disease, were answering the questions. For statistical data analysis “Excel” program was used. Structure of the paper: this thesis consists of introduction, two main parts, conclusions and recommendations. The first chapter is dedicated to familiarize readers with the theoretical background. The second chapter is devoted to perform a quantitative analysis into the actions of nurses for the patients with ischemic heart disease in practice. Results/conclusion: the research has shown that nurses are very well informed about the ischemic heart disease. However, some nurses lack some knowledge about the age at which patients can get the secondary prevention. Nurses, working with patients with IHD, introduce them with the most common risk factors, because the management of them can reduce the development of the disease. Nurses perform their actions according to the professional competencies very often, but the nurses do not provide psychologal motivation to switch to a healthier lifestyle as often as physiological actions. In addition, the majority of nurses say that all the actions of risk management are more or less effective.