Effectiveness of integrated program on clinical care pathway for patients with heart failure upon competency of nurses

Cardiovascular disease is still the most common cause of death and disability in industrialized nations, and its prevalence is rising rapidly. Heart failure (HF) is increasingly common and incurs a substantial cost, both in terms of quality and length of life. Clinical pathways provide a means of implementing the most up-to-date guidance into clinical settings to improve the value and efficiency of the care provided. Methods: This study was conducted using the A Quasi-Experimental Time series Research design to assess the level of competency and to determine the effectiveness of clinical care pathway on management of patients with heart failure among 60 nurses (30 in Control and 30 in Intervention Group) from selected hospitals who were selected by consecutive sampling technique. The data was collected using pretested and validated tools such as background variables proforma of nurses, structured knowledge questionnaire and Observation Checklist on Practice of Integrated Program on Clinical Care Pathway for Heart Failure through self-administration method. Results: The study findings revealed that the mean knowledge score for heart failure management was significantly higher in the intervention group (25.50 ± 1.61) compared to the control group (17.87 ± 1.83). Additionally, their practice scores also were significantly higher across all components, days, and global scores in the intervention group (127.97 ± 3.43) than the control group (76.90 ± 7.60) with a p < 0.001. Conclusion: An empowerment of nurses focusing on clinical pathway could improve knowledge on heart failure, which could lead to better patient care including patient education and could reduce patient readmission for heart failure.