Nursing Care in the Outpatient and Hospital Setting

Abstract

The ACHD advanced nurse practitioner must exhibit a high level of judgment and decision-making, utilising a foundation of specialist education, evidence-based knowledge and clinical experience to support the multidisciplinary care of this complex cohort of patients. In the outpatient setting, a structured format for history taking and assessment should assist the practitioner in the appropriate management of specific congenital cardiac lesions, which are often associated with typical ‘red flag’ symptoms. Where the practitioner is deemed competent to do so, they may work with a degree of autonomy, but should always remain alert to their limitations. In the hospital setting, the practitioner plays a pivotal role in the formulation of a well-devised specialist care plan which acknowledges an individual’s medical, physical, psychological and spiritual needs.