Ein Jahr Advanced Nursing Practice in der Kinderkardiologie – ein erster Rückblick

Abstract

In 2008, the patient-oriented concept of Advanced Nursing Practice (ANP) was introduced to the Pediatric Cardiology Division at the University Medical Center Freiburg (Germany) in order to meet the needs of the in majority chronically ill patients. The goal of ANP was to offer an extended and in-depth support and care to the patients. The Advanced Practice Nurse (APN), a nurse with a master degree in nursing science, offers direct care to patients, parents and families. In the first months, the APN conducted focus group discussions to explore potential interventions. Out of these focused discussions, the APN established training and counseling programs such as a medication management prior to hospital discharge and a training for parents in the recognition of heart failure signs. The goal of these programs was to increase parents' confidence and to support their effective caring for their child. Until today, the feedback of patients, parents and staff is positive but an evaluation is still missing. It was obvious that the successful implementation of such a new concept requires time and the involvement of the entire nursing team. To implement the concept in this environment, the APN also had to focus on the professional development of the nursing staff especially during the first month.