Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association's 19th Annual Symposium Preview
The Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association's (PCNA's) 19th Annual Symposium is your source for cutting-edge information, best practices, and national guidelines in cardiovascular risk reduction and disease management. Join fellow nurses, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, physicians, diabetes educators, dietitians, exercise physiologists, and other cardiovascular healthcare professionals at the premier cardiovascular nursing conference of 2013. This year's conference will be held at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 2-4, 2013.
Designed to blend the latest advancements in science with practical clinical approaches to patient management, PCNA's Annual Symposium features keynote addresses, lectures, and workshops presented by world-renowned authorities in cardiovascular risk reduction and disease management. Expand your knowledge with 21/2 days of cutting-edge programs.
This year's schedule includes the following:
Thursday, May 2, 8:30 AM-6:30 PM
* Breakfast CE Program
* New National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Guidelines for the management of patients at increased risk for CVD: How ATP 4, JNC-8, and Obesity 2 Impact Practice-Patrick McBride, MD, MPH
* Prescribing Exercise for Patients with Heart Disease: Keeping It Safe-Barry Franklin, PhD
* A Family- Based Approach to CVD Risk Reduction: A Focus on Children and Adolescents-Laura Hayman, PhD, RN, FPCNA, FAAN
* Clustering of Risk Factors in the Insulin Resistant Patient: A Comprehensive Approach to Management-Cindy Lamendola, MSN, NP-BC, FAHA, FPCNA
* Health Coaching: A Key Role for Cardiovascular Nursing-Jody Hereford, RN, MNS, MS, FAACVPR
* The Role of Mobile Technology in Improving Cardiovascular Health-Mary Gain, MPH
* Surgical Approaches to Weight Loss: Role in CVD Risk Reduction-Noel N. Williams, MD, BCh, MCh, FRCSI, FRCS(Gen)
* Exhibits, poster presentations, and opening reception
Friday, May 3, 8:30 AM-5:00 PM
* Breakfast CE Program
* Winning abstracts: oral presentations
* Diastolic Dysfunction: The Other Heart Failure-Mariell Jessup, MD
* Calculating the CVD Risk Score: Which Tool for Which Patient?-Donald Lloyd-Jones, MD, ScM, FACC, FAHA
* A Practical Approach to the Management of Hypertension: 2013 Update-Barry L. Carter, PharmD
* Improving CV Outcomes: Whose Job Is Quality Improvement Anyway?-Cheryl Dennison Hemmelfarb, PhD, RN, ANP, FAAN
* Time Is Brain: Optimal Care of the Stroke Patient in 2013-Anne Leonard, MPH, RN, CCRC, FAHA
* Device-Based Therapy of Cardiac Rhythm Abnormalities: The "Need-to-Knows"-Robin J. Trupp, RN, PhD, ACNP-BC, CHFN, FACC
Saturday, May 4, 8:30 AM-12:30 PM
* Breakfast CE program
* Palliative Care for the CVD Patient: When the Goal is Care-Not Cure-Patricia M. Davidson, RN, BA, Med, PhD
* One Size Does Not Fit All: How Sociocultural Factors Impact Preventive Strategies-Eileen Stuart-Shor, PhD, ANP-BC, FAHA, FAAN
* Sex Matters: Insights From WISE-Noel Bairey Merz, MD, FACC, FAHA
* Closing keynote-Wayne Sotile, PhD
In addition to cutting-edge information, PCNA's 19th Annual Symposium promises to reenergize participants through exciting networking opportunities and a new community outreach initiative.
New this year at the Annual Symposium, PCNA is inviting all participants and supporters to help give back to the local community; we are asking for donations of medical equipment no longer in use in your practice. Some items may include blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes, pedometers, tape measure, and others.
Early Bird registration rates are available until April 5, 2013. Visit pcna.net/symposium to register today. See you in Las Vegas!
Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association and American Nurses Foundation Award Research Grant to Lea Ann Matura, PhD
Each year, the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA) and the American Nurses Foundation (ANF) partner to award a $5000 grant to encourage the research career development of nurses and advanced practice nurses. In support of the mission of PCNA, individuals whose research is focused on cardiovascular disease prevention are selected for this award.
This year, PCNA and ANF have awarded the 2012 Research Grant to Lea Ann Matura, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, for her submission for the "Proinflammatory Cytokines and Symptoms in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension."
Dr Matura received her BS, MS (adult primary care nurse practitioner), and PhD in Nursing from Texas Woman's University in Houston, Texas. She received postdoctoral training at The National Institutes of Health at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development from 2006 to 2008. Before her academic career, Dr Matura had experience as a staff nurse and nurse practitioner in the areas of cardiac and critical care.
To be eligible for this award, one must be a current member of PCNA, address the prevention of cardiovascular disease in the proposed research, and present the results at the annual meeting of the PCNA within 2 years of completion.
For more information about the ANF Research Grant Award, visit http://www.pcna.net/member-center
Make a New Year's Resolution to Become a Certified Cardiac/Vascular Nurse
A certified nurse has demonstrated specialized knowledge by taking a written certification examination. There are many certifications for nurses by specialty, and all nurses should consider obtaining certification. For nurses in all areas of cardiovascular and stroke care, the Cardiac/Vascular nurse certification is appropriate. The examination, developed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association, can be taken by all levels of nurses from associate's degree through PhD or DNP to become certified as a Board-Certified Registered Nurse (RN-BC).
Why is certification important? There are a number of reasons, including:
* Advancement in clinical performance evaluation
* Important for workplace Magnet recognition
* Perceived as a leader in the workplace
* Volunteer opportunities at the ANCC as a test item writer or Expert Panel Member
* Advance the profession of nursing
Certification is and will continue to be important for nurses. Members of the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association receive a discounted registration rate for the Cardiac/Vascular Examination. For more information, visit the member center on pcna.net. Make 2013 the year to become certified!
Chapter Spotlight: PCNA Chapter in Cincinnati Offers Unique Programming
In 2012, the Greater Cincinnati Area PCNA Chapter fulfilled one of their chapter goals of providing a new local educational opportunity. The topic of this event was "The Art of Fitness: How to Engage Your Patients in Healthy Lifestyle Changes Through Exercise and Weight Loss." A group of energetic nurses and nurse practitioners set out to educate themselves and other nurses in the community to better assist patients who were struggling with starting an exercise routine as part of their lifestyle changes.
"We were attempting to face the decline in reimbursement for our patients who could benefit from cardiac rehab but were unable to participate due to limited healthcare resources. A goal was to write an individualized 'Exercise Prescription' for patients with various types of heart disease. We teamed up with the Mercy HealthPlex in Fairfield, Ohio and a dynamic exercise physiologist, Dana Ruth, MS, who heads the cardiac rehab department at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, to offer a free Saturday morning seminar for nurses and other interested healthcare personnel," said Ann Suttmann, APRN, BC, of the Greater Cincinnati Area Chapter.
During this presentation, participants focused on the FITT principle: Frequency of exercise, Intensity of exercise, Time spent exercising and, Type of exercise performed. Much of the information was obtained from guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine, which recommends exercise 3 to 5 times per week for 20 to 60 minutes per day. This can be divided into 10-minute intervals. The advantages of aerobic and anaerobic exercise were discussed, along with the importance of "warm-up" and "cool-down" activity. The presentation also discussed nutrition and the value of dividing our dietary intake of calories to include 40% to 55% in carbohydrate calories, 15% in protein calories, and 30% in fat calories.
"We are taught how to measure percentage of body fat, along with the importance of including waist circumference in our physical evaluation. Men with waist circumference >40 inches and women with waist circumference >35 inches were at greater risk of developing heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Lots of helpful, credible internet sites were also mentioned to provide further information for those looking to expand their knowledge and expertise," said Suttmann.
In addition to providing CE credit, this program also included a heart-healthy breakfast and a free Pilates class, helping participants put what they learned in the classroom into practice.
Congratulations to the Greater Cincinnati Chapter for achieving one of their goals. For more information on how you can host a local program or start a local chapter, contact Megan Halverson at [email protected].
PCNA Chapter Spotlight: Greater Delaware Valley
The Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association's (PCNA's) large network of chapters makes it possible for healthcare professionals to participate in local events, network, and gain professional support. Some of the most important chapter offerings, chapter programs, bridge the gap between science and clinical practice. The Greater Delaware Valley PCNA Chapter is one of the many PCNA chapters that offer successful educational programs to members and other healthcare professionals. On October 20, 2012, the Delaware Valley Chapter hosted a PCNA Fall Lecture Series event, educating nearly 50 of the area's top cardiac nurses and advanced practice nurses.
Unique to this chapter is that it serves PCNA members in a 4-state area. The chapter name is based on the Delaware River that touches Philadelphia and suburban areas, Southern New Jersey, Delaware, and Northern Maryland.
The chapter was chartered in April 2009, under the support of current PCNA board member Joyce Ross, MSN, CRNP, CS, CLS, FNLA, FPCNA. Ross encouraged the 5 founding members, Lori Neri, MSN, CRNP, FPCNA, Adina Gutstein, MSN, CRNP, FPCNA, Angela Stewart, ACNP-BC, CRNP, Janie Baranyay, RN, MSN, FPCNA, and Deborah Paschal, CRNP, to establish a PCNA chapter in Greater Delaware Valley. Lori Neri, MSN, CRNP, of the Heart Care Group in Allentown, Pennsylvania, currently serves as the chapter leader, who continues to strive toward providing complimentary education to their membership through educational offerings.
"We serve a vast area and have had very successful attendance for our educational offerings," says Neri.
For more information about the Greater Delaware Valley PCNA chapter, contact Lori Neri at [email protected].
2012 Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association Fall Lecture Series Recap
The 2012 Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA) Fall Lecture Series toured the United States during the fall of 2012 from September 15 to November 17 to visit 10 cities including Fort Worth, Oakland, Chicago, Morristown, Radnor, Tampa, Scottsdale, New York, Seattle, and Atlanta. A Web-streamed program was also available for those unable to attend the live programs. More than 1200 healthcare professionals attended the live and online sessions to earn 2.25 contact hours of continuing education and 1.2 hours of pharmacology.
The program this year featured presentations on the disparities in the care of the cardiovascular patient, the management of dyslipidemia in high risk patients and the reduction of cardioembolic risk in the patient with AFib.
Some of the educational objectives for these programs included identifying cultural beliefs that act as barriers to improved health outcomes, identifying the common lipid abnormalities seen in patients with chronic kidney disease and/or diabetes, and identifying the recommendations for follow-up of patients on pharmacologic agents approved for oral anticoagulation therapy in the United States. The speakers selected to present at these programs were from the local area, adding to their ability to address their specific community concerns and questions.
In addition to providing continuing education credits, participants were served a heart-healthy breakfast and lunch. Many also took advantage of the program as a local networking opportunity and PCNA chapter leaders were able to promote PCNA membership and benefits at these programs.
Along with providing the latest information on the issues and techniques in cardiovascular care, the 2012 Fall Lecture Series also supported the growth of one of PCNA's newest chapters. The Long Island PCNA Chapter started in 2011 and, in conjunction with the Metro New York Chapter, was able to draw more than 70 participants to their fall lecture series in Garden City, New York.
The 2012 Fall Lecture Series also brought this PCNA program to a few new cities. Hosting for the first time were Scottsdale, Arizona, and Fort Worth, Texas. Both programs had a very strong turnout, bringing in many PCNA members and nonmembers from all areas of cardiovascular care, including registered nurses, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, respiratory therapists, and students.
Watch http://www.pcna.net for the announcement of the 2013 cities later this year.
Global Opportunities for Heart Month 2013
In recognition of February's Heart Month, the American Heart Association's (AHA) "Go Red for Women" campaign will celebrate National Wear Red Day on February 1. To support the growing Hispanic population in the United States, the AHA has developed a companion Web site "Go Red por tu Corazon" customized for this audience. Similarly, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has created bilingual materials on women and heart disease ("Heart Truth") with a Web site link to translate information to Spanish. Both the Go Red for Women and Heart Truth campaigns have the potential to reach out to millions of supporters via social media links and other outlets.
According to The Hispanic population 2010: Census briefs, between 2000 and 2010, more than half the population growth in the United States was attributed to Hispanics. The Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA) has recognized this need for bilingual materials. The PCNA offers a downloadable patient handout on hypertension and Spanish version of a patient brochure, Get Tough on Angina. Visit http://pcna.net/clinical-tools for more information.
The National Coalition for Women With Heart Disease (Women Heart) also recognizes the need to target our growing Hispanic population. According to their Web site, http://www.womenheart.org, Hispanic women have a slightly higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than whites do, but there has been less recognition of their cardiovascular risk factors.
Meeting the needs of ethnic diversity will continue to shape the delivery of cardiovascular healthcare in the United States. But beyond the US borders, nursing colleagues have contributed to global CVD awareness and disease prevention. The PCNA championed its global partnerships in a 2011 supplement of the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing with a call to action for nursing to address the global burden of cardiovascular disease. This landmark issue remains available at the PCNA's Global Prevention Web site link at http://pcna.net/global-prevention.
With CVD remaining a leading cause of death globally (>17 million deaths per year), another call to action to address these statistics has been issued by the AHA, the American College of Cardiology Foundation, the World Heart Federation, and European partners. According to the AHA publication, Circulation, this Global CVD Task Force is calling upon the broader CVD community to support measures in the following key areas to reduce premature noncommunicable mortality 25% by 2025:
* Physical inactivity
* Hypertension
* Dietary salt intake
* Tobacco use
In an increasingly connected world community, our set of US-led Heart Month initiatives can readily transcend borders. This is an opportune time for cardiovascular nurses to undertake the global mission of promoting optimal or ideal cardiovascular health.