Implementation of an Ask Me 3 ® education video to improve outcomes in post-myocardial infarction patients.

OBJECTIVE: The Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) in an adult cardiology practice in a large metropolitan city, provide hospital follow-up care to post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients. The APPs identified a problem: patients retained very little of the information they receive during their hospitalization. The purpose of this pilot project was to evaluate the impact of an Ask Me 3 ® post-MI education video on patients' knowledge of self-care activities. The video was designed to promote secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease and support optimal cardiovascular health. METHODS: The project used a pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a post-MI education video compared to the standard teaching methods. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 25 total participants, 12 in the control group and 13 in the intervention group. The increase in the intervention group's post- test scores was statistically significant (p value = 0.0056), showing a vast improvement in knowledge with the addition of an "Ask Me 3" education video. CONCLUSION: An "Ask Me 3" post-MI education video may effectively improve cardiovascular secondary prevention when incorporated with the standard teaching methods. Patients may view the video multiple times, enhancing their knowledge of lifestyle modifications following hospitalization and their overall cardiovascular health.

Developing a Curriculum to Educate Postgraduate Practitioners on Scholarly Projects.

Many hospitals across the country have postgraduate fellowship programs for nurse practitioners and physician assistants. An important aspect of these programs is a scholarly project focused on patient outcomes. However, many fellows lack the experience and skills necessary to complete a scholarly project. This article presents a scholarly project curriculum with relevant information for nurses in professional development as they equip learners with the knowledge, structure, and support necessary to produce high-quality scholarly work.

Predischarge Provider Visits as a Method of Improving Transitional Care Clinic Visit Rates.

BACKGROUND: Transitional care interventions have been associated with reduced 30-day patient readmission, better quality of health care, and lower emergency department visits and health care costs. LOCAL PROBLEM: Transition Services at a major quaternary care center was underutilized by patients who were referred to the program. METHODS: A pre-/postimplementation evaluation design was used to evaluate a quality improvement intervention. INTERVENTION: A face-to-face meeting between eligible patients and a Transition Services provider prior to patients being discharged from the hospital was evaluated as a process improvement intervention. The primary outcome was initial appointment attendance at the Transition Services clinic following hospital discharge. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference (P = .59) in patients' initial appointment attendance at Transition Services between the preintervention (48.1%) and intervention phases (54.8%). CONCLUSION: Provider engagement during hospitalization did not increase initial appointment attendance at Transition Services. Other strategies to improve Transition Services attendance rates are needed.

Cardiac Transplantation: Considerations for the Intensive Care Unit Nurse.

Heart transplantation is a recommended and curative treatment option for patients with advanced heart failure symptoms despite receiving optimal medical and device therapy. The availability of donor organs limits the number of patients able to receive a heart transplant. The overall outcome of patients able to receive a heart transplant is determined by the successful delivery of essential nursing care. Understanding the specific interventions and therapies unique to this patient population is critical to their care. This article reviews considerations for the intensive care unit clinician in the management of heart transplant patients in this setting.