PCNA announces an interactive educational program designed to support nurses and nurse practitioners in their vital role as patient counselors on a heart-healthy lifestyle. All too often, in our busy clinic- and hospital-based practices, dietitians are unavailable to counsel patients and family members about heart-healthy diets. This job then falls on the nurse, who is not always comfortable providing specific nutrition guidelines. The goal of this online continuing education (CE) program is to arm nurses with the tools they need to feel comfortable counseling patients with hyperlipidemia, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease.
Using the latest evidence-based research and current national guidelines, this course covers
* the role that diet plays in the development of atherosclerosis
* new and emerging risk factors for cardiac and vascular disease
* how food components affect serum lipids
* the latest research on the potential benefits of omega-3 and omega-6 essential oils
* evidence-based recommendations for lifestyle changes, including activity guidelines and successful weight loss strategies.
* how to recognize and treat metabolic syndrome
* dietary approaches to reducing hypertension.
It will help answer common patient/family questions such as
* What type of fat is recommended as a part of a heart-healthy diet?
* What foods may help reduce the risk of heart disease?
* Are supplemental vitamins recommended as part of a heart-healthy lifestyle?
* Can low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol be reduced by lifestyle measures?
* What role does diet play in improving high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol?
* How do I lose weight safely and effectively?
Many helpful tools accompany this curriculum and may be downloaded and used in your practice setting as a guide for patient education or provider reference. These tools include (1) a table of common oils and their fat content; (2) sources of functional foods such as plant stanols and sterols; (3) a guide to seafood high in omega-3 fatty acids; and (4) sources of soluble and non-soluble fiber. A glossary of common nutritional terms helps nurses communicate the language of nutrition with professional colleagues as well as patients.
Case studies weave their way through this curriculum providing real-world examples of how to apply the content to your practice setting. One case study features a formerly active 40-year-old man who has developed an elevated LDL cholesterol level but wants to see if he can manage his dyslipidemia with lifestyle change. Another case example is a Latino who has metabolic syndrome. He and his wife want to learn how to adapt their traditional diet to help treat this problem. The third case is a middle-aged woman who is already on one cholesterol-lowering agent and wants to try eating soy and other functional foods to avoid the addition of a second medication. By the end of the program you will have clear and concise advice for all three of these patients, as well as for the patients and family members you see every day.
Several web-based resources and links are provided as a part of this program. These links provide the opportunity to navigate through the vast amount of nutritional information on the web, with the assurance that the information is scientifically based and accurate. Reference lists provide you with the opportunity to dig even deeper into nutrition topics of interest and an algorithm helps you decide when a patient needs to be referred to a nutrition expert.
PCNA and the project's sponsor, Promise Buttery Spread, hope you will take advantage of this free educational opportunity. Simply visit the PCNA website http://www.pcna.net to connect to the online curriculum "Heart Talk: Nourishing Healthy Hearts."
Section Description
The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing is the official journal of the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association. PCNA is the leading nursing organization dedicated to preventing cardiovascular disease through assessing risk, facilitating lifestyle changes, and guiding individuals to achieve treatment goals.