Educational Tracks
To meet the needs of our diverse audience AAHFN offers three educational tracks:
Track 1: Cornerstones of Heart Failure
The Cornerstones of Heart Failure include sessions that focus on gaining the foundational skills needed for the care of patients with heart failure. Emphasis is placed on understanding pathophysiology, mechanism of action of various medications, as well the use and benefits derived from using new technology. The updated 2005 ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Management of Heart Failure are emphasized as the less experienced heart failure nurse gains an understanding the neurohormonal pathways in heart failure, cardiac testing modalities and interpretation, physical exam skills and managing acutely decompensated heart failure. Sessions to watch for:
- Pathophysiology of Cardiac Remodeling
- Piecing Symptoms Together Through Physical Exam
- Understanding and Differentiating Abnormal Heart Sounds
- Taking the Puzzle Out of Heart Failure Testing Modalities
- Treating heart failure: What do the guidelines say
- Recognizing Impending Decompensated Heart Failure
- Cardiorenal syndrome: How does it start
- Right vs Left, Systolic vs Diastolic: Understanding the complexities of HF disturbances
- Understanding Common Lab Results: Chemistry, Hematology, and Liver Labs Oh My!
Track 2: Advanced Aspects of Heart Failure
The Advanced Aspects of Heart Failure is tailored to advanced practice nurses (APN) as well as those who have more clinical skill in the area of heart failure management in either the inpatient or outpatient arenas. Sessions to watch for:
- AV Optimization: The Concept and the Procedure
- Overcoming the Uncommon: Heart Failure in Other Etiologies
- Acutely Decompensated Heart Failure: Improving Patient Outcomes
- New Technology to Assess Fluid Overload
- Managing Pulmonary Artery Hypertension
- Unusual cases in HF
- Referral for LVAD or transplantation
Track 3: Global Aspects of Heart Failure
The Global Aspects of Heart Failure covers issues and treatment implications that are broad in nature and apply across many settings. These topics are generally of equal interest to novice and experienced heart failure nurses. Examples of global areas include holistic aspect of care, psychological well being, risk reduction, and scientific sessions highlighting nursing research. Sessions to watch for:
- Improving Adherence to Therapy
- Four Important HF Studies of 2007-08: What do the findings mean for nursing?
- Obtaining certification for your Heart Failure Program
- Psychological care for the patient with an implanted device
- Home Exercise for the Person with HF
- Developing the Science of Heart Failure Nursing
- Easing the Transition to Palliative Care
- Clinical Nursing Innovations in Heart Failure
- State of the Science of Self Management in Heart Failure
- Future Directions in Heart Failure Management
Educational Goals and Objectives (subject to change)
After attending this meeting, participants will be able to
- Describe the disparities in heart failure care.
- Integrate the recommendations of the ACC/AHA 2005 Heart Failure Guidelines into personal practice.
- Identify patients who would benefit from device therapies (ICD, CRT, LVAD).
- Describe advanced practice aspects/issues of heart failure care.
- Manage the issues that are global to the heart failure population.
- List the strategies for successful publishing.
- Interpret research findings to appropriately affect practice.
- Describe approaches to enhance patient adherence to recommended therapies.
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