A Focus on Congestive Heart Failure-Related Patient Education After Open Heart Surgery: A Quality Improvement Project.

Background: After open heart surgery patients often develop symptoms associated with congestive heart failure (CHF), or fluid volume overload. To prevent heart failure-related symptoms in the postoperative period patients must be educated on heart failure self-care.

Objective: To decrease the percentage of postoperative open heart surgical patients with CHF-related questions and concerns from 44% to 30% by March 2020.

Methods: A cardiac surgery educational booklet and an educational electronic health record template were identified to guide a CHF educational pathway. Intensive care staff nurses provided patient education after surgery. PDSA cycles were performed in succession to roll out the quality improvement (QI) initiative.

Results: Of patients experiencing postoperative issues, 44% of patients developed symptoms or concerns related to heart failure. Upon implementation of the CHF-focused pathway 15% of patients were exhibiting symptoms or concerns related to CHF, out of all patients with postoperative issues.

Conclusions: CHF, and fluid volume overload continues to be a difficult pathology requiring close management and follow up. After open heart surgery, providing concise, CHF-focused education results in reduced CHF-related patient concerns after discharge.

Implications for nursing: By providing a disease-focused patient education nurses can reduce the complications that patients develop after an inpatient hospital.