Nurses are the largest health care discipline in the world managing cardiovascular disease (CVD), and our involvement in CVD and stroke prevention has resulted in improved outcomes for our patients. GCNLF leaders Laura L. Hayman, PhD, MSN; Kathy Berra, MSN, NP-BC; Barbara J. Fletcher, RN, MN and Nancy Houston Miller, RN, BSN recently took this message to the pages of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in their recent guest editorial, “The Role of Nurses in Promoting Cardiovascular Health Worldwide: The Global Cardiovascular Nursing Leadership Forum.”
The editorial focused on the important role nurses play CVD management and prevention and outlined GCNLF’s efforts “to elevate the role of cardiovascular and stroke nursing globally and to affect CVD prevention and treatment around the world.” Here is an excerpt:
By taking on a primary role as team leaders in providing case management, nurses have proven their capability to not only reduce CVD risk factors, but to also adhere to treatment guidelines and protocols, decrease hospitalization, and reduce morbidity and mortality in those with established disease. Such programs demonstrating improved outcomes and cost effectiveness have been noted in both developing and developed countries.