NURS 3005: Nursing Care and Management of Acute CCF Patients

This report provides an overview of nursing care and management strategies for acute congestive cardiac failure (CCF), a condition primarily affecting the elderly. It highlights the importance of patient education, end-of-life care considerations, and effective discharge planning to reduce hospital readmissions. The report emphasizes the need for involving family members in care planning, providing standardized patient education materials, and conducting further research on discharge planning challenges specific to CCF patients. Recommendations include establishing dedicated discharge planning teams, ensuring consistent follow-up care, and promoting public awareness through media campaigns. The report concludes that early detection and comprehensive management are crucial for improving patient outcomes and quality of life. Desklib offers a wealth of study resources, including solved assignments and past papers, to support students in their academic pursuits.

Introduction
Congestive cardiac failure (CCF) is a condition, which happens when the heart is no longer
able to pump blood in the body because of weakened muscles. The leading cause of this
disease is coronary artery infection. In addition, hypertension, obesity and diabetes cause this
disease. This disease mostly affects the elderly. It is a leading cause for hospital admissions
for people above the age of 65.Care management in acute CCF i s mostly done by a heart
specialist, nurses and the caregivers of the patient. The care management revolves around
issues, which include the patient while at home or while in admission in the hospital. Nursing
care and management is an approach geared at creating a team to focus on patients and assist
the patients and their relative, friend and caregivers in the management of the conditions the
patient is facing. It involves coordinating activities, which are required in managing of the
illness. Acute CCF requires this approach because it is a chronic illness and can be very
traumatizing for the patients without information of the disease.
Key Issues
Patient education
The period the patient is in the hospital is an ideal time when the hospital staff can educate the patient
and the family about CFF monitoring and management. Patients should be introduced to the concepts of
self-care. They should learn to monitor their condition and recognize monumental changes and be
reporting the changes to the assigned personnel. According to … Ponikowski, & Voors, 2016 (p.48),
there is need to carefully evaluate contributing factors of CFF among the patients. If identified these
causative agents should are to be dealt with urgently. These are conditions such as acute coronary
syndrome, acute pulmonary embolism and hypertension. With the identification of these underlying
causes, the risks posed by having severe CCF are mitigated. To limit the possibilities of
misunderstanding between the heart management teams and the patients, the healthcare systems ought to
provide written materials about the education supporting the verbal education.
Teaching by word of mouth faces substantial drawbacks such as the limited capacity of the patients to
retain new information because of the illness condition. This education primarily on CFF, and thus it
should form the basis for continued education and support for the patient (Riley, 2015). The families of
the patients should take the initiatives a chance to ask a question and seek clarifications about the disease.
It is also vital to inform the patients that the CFF is a an incurable disorder but its management practices
such as taking the prescribed medication consistently and curbing physical activities that could increase
fluid overload in the body such as foods with sodium guarantees a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, weighing
themselves on a constant basis to check fluids overload and informing the doctors of any changes can
save lives (Farrell & Tomoaia-Cotisel, et.al 2015 (p.15).
End of life care Contextual Framework
According to previous empirical studies, patients with CCF have recorded high mortality rates after
hospital discharge. Despite the care available, approximately 14% of the patients still die, Howlett &
Morrin, 2010 (p.139). Notably, age and fragility of the patients’ culminate to such adverse health
complications. During hospital admissions, patients must undergo palliative and supportive measure
programs. They involve actions such as pain relief, discussions about future care and planning of place to
die. By discussing the end of life because of the illness, there are marked improvements in the quality of
life of the patients because of the relief and clarity on the patient's life. Some may even choose where to
die.
Discharge planning: Patient management in hospitals cannot solely lean on the hemodynamic
monitoring. Discharge planning involves the hospital management teams and the patient. There should be
a clear and precise plan for the patient to follow being discharged from the hospital. Jha & Orav, et.al
2009, observes that the patients who are not able to follow medications or adhere to recommendations of
the management team are readmitted again. There is thus need to plan what happens after the patients are
discharged and reduce the risk of them being re admitted again. It is thus necessary to keep following up
the patients in the first one to two weeks after discharge. In fact, discharge planning should start once the
patient is stable in hospital. Discussions amongst the patient, heart specialist teams and the patient's
family should form a discussion where possible. The family should be included in it taking care of the
patient. As Bauer, et.al 2009, highlighted, the patients are in old age and are mostly frail the family
should look after them. They should also be part of the team for self-care involving the patient to look for
any symptoms, which may need the attention of the doctors. They also need additional supportive
community resources after discharge. Thus, when preparing for discharge, preparations ought to align
and streamline earlier for the patient and family familiarization and acquainted with the medication
needed and support required.
Acute CCF- Nursing Care And Management
NAME:
Implementation of results
Creation of planning discharge teams specifically for CCF patients with a heart specialist, they should plan on how
to prevent the patient from readmission again. According to Howlett & Morrin, 2010 (p.139) healthcare providers
ought to ensure consistent visiting the patients in the first until the third week after discharge to check on their
conditions. Moreover, healthcare centers must avail brochures for use by all hospitals towards educating the public
and the patients suffering from CCF. The materials must originate from one common source to ensure uniformity
of the knowledge about the disease. Furthermore, to maintain proper healing and post-discharge care, the hiring of
professionals to talk to patients about the possibility of death from the disease must cater for emotional, physical,
and social nurturing. Specially, the professionals ought to have great interpersonal and expertise skills to handle the
acute CCF patients (Riley, 2015). Ultimately, the introduction of the end of life care services should include all
hospitals and awareness campaigns and programs to all patients suffering from acute CCF.
Congestive cardiac failure (CCF) is a condition that happens to the heart when it is no longer pumping blood
throughout the body efficiently because of weakened heart muscles. this disease not only affects the heart but other
body organs resulting into breathing difficulties, a limited working of kidneys and accumulation of fluids in
different tissues of the body. Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of this condition although, although the
heart valve disease, hypertension, obesity, unhealthy eating, smoking, diabetes, heart attack and lack of physical
activities can cause it. Sahle et al. (p. 32) argue that CCF is most common among the elderly in Australia. It is the
leading cause of hospital admissions for the person aged over 65 years and its prevalence increases as age
increases. In the population above the age of 75, it has affected 10% of them.
It is a chronic and long-term condition.
An affected person may show no symptoms although the most commonly reported are coughing, shortness or
severe shortness of breath, swelling of legs, gaining of weight, muscular fatigue, abdominal swelling. The
condition can be tested through a variety of tests such as X-ray, blood tests and lung functioning tests. Riley (2015,
p.23) states that there are various treatment drugs for this condition such as diuretics- they remove the excess
fluids, use of inhibitors; which help open the blood vessels, drugs to lower the blood pressure and limit retaining of
sodium in the body. In addition, addressing of the underlying disease such as blood pressure is paramount. In fact,
can be supplemented by lifestyle changes such as having heart-healthy diets, reducing the use of fats and
cholesterol in one food, reducing the amount of salt taken and by ensuring one has a body weight deemed to be
healthy.
Recommendations
There should be effective planning for the discharge of patients of CCF. Effective planning reduces the chances of
readmission in the hospital. Jha & Orav, et.al 2009, observes that lack of planning about the status of the patient
after being discharged increases the likelihood of the patient being re admitted again. It is very essential for the
management team to involve the close family and the patient in planning for discharge. They should also be told of
the symptoms, which they should look out. They should link the discharge planners with the patients' relatives of
community-based care and provide mechanisms to follow to keep monitoring the patient. For older people who
have lost touch with caregivers of the family, the community organizations should link up with the patient to help
in essential services such as support groups, counseling and monitoring of the health. Since patients from CCF are
at readmission again after discharge, the hospitals should provide personnel to follow up on the discharged patients
and keep a record of their performance.
Ultimately, there should be a standardized form of manual for use by the hospital for educating all hospitals in the
country for use by the patients. It will ensure uniformity in the information given to patients about the disease, also
will a standardized form it will be easier to identify gaps in it and inclusion of additional information. Antonicelli,
et. el 2008, Notes that there should be programs in the media. There should be efforts to help in raising the
concerns about the disease by promoting healthy lifestyles. For the already affected, there should be education
about management of the condition. The decision rationale ought to revolve around a central body its availability
simplified to all patients. Hospitals should ensure they talk to patients about the possibility of death from the acute
CCF, although hard it will assist the patients in facing reality before them and then they can make decisions
involving their life. By providing such information, the patients may opt to reach out to friends and relatives, and
overall it will cause the patient to feel at peace.
There is a research gap on the care and management of discharge planning. Much research has mainly focused on
it generally, but there are not researches based on the people suffering from CFF, given their unique circumstances
such as being elderly and most detached from their families, researches should be carried out highlight the
challenges the care and management team face when planning discharge for such people (Goodlin, 2009).
Actually, research strengthens the evidence base of an end of life planning. There are no significant studies in
practice.
Conclusion
In conclusion acute CCF is a disease which has lasting effects of the patients. It mainly affects the elderly people
above the age of 65. It is very vital if it is detected earlier in order as studies have shown that majority of the cases
of hospital admission are preventable. The three key issues which should be addressed by the care and
management team include patient education. It should be done while the patient is in hospital, end of life care; the
patients should be made aware of the possibility of death as a result of the disease and discharge planning. There
should be plans put in place for the patient to follow when finally discharged.

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