A pilot survey to investigatethe nursing contribution to hospital-based patient assessment for thrombolytic therapy in the West Midlands

Abstract

Background: the beneficial impact of thrombolytic therapy on mortality from acutemyocardial infarction (AMI) is time related. However, delays in initiating this therapy are evident within the UK, despite the introduction of national standards. Within the literature several limited reports have demonstrated the successful contribution which various nurse-led interventions have made to reducing such delays. However, no accurate picture currently exists regarding the exact nature or prevalence of nurse-led interventions, nor has there been any research to establish the effectiveness of nurseled interventions in relation to outcomes other than door-to-needle time. Aims of the study: this study seeks to determine the nature and prevalence of nurse-ledstrategies which have been introduced within hospitals to reduce delays in the initial treatment of patients with AMI, and also to determine the training given to nurses to prepare them for the associated new roles. Research methods and setting: the study comprised a cross-sectional survey of hospitalswhich routinely admit patients with AMI within the West Midlands region ( n =23). Hospitals were identified from a regional data base from which senior coronary care nurses were selected to represent each hospital, and to comprise the convenience sample. Data were collected retrospectively, for the period from January to December 1996, by means of a postal questionnaire. This study is a pilot study for a larger study of hospitals throughout the UK.