Introduction
Diseases of the cardiovascular system are among the most dangerous for humans. At the same time, among the biggest problems faced by patients is the lack of awareness of the risks to the cardiovascular system. One of the main activities of the American Heart Association is increasing public awareness of cardiovascular system diseases. The AHA provides detailed information about various heart conditions, their causes, and treatment options. Moreover, the association explains what actions can be taken to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, including a healthy lifestyle, a healthy diet, exercise, and other supporting factors (American Heart Association, 2022a). Furthermore, AHA assists people suffering from heart disease and undergoing rehabilitation after strokes and heart attacks.
Discussion
Another organization that helps people with cardiovascular problems is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The main activity of the NHLBI is to inform societies about diseases of the cardiovascular system and conduct research in this area to improve healthcare services for patients (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, n.d.). In addition, the Institute works with various government programs to help people who have heart diseases. Thus, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute raises the level of public health by informing the communities about the problems and risks of heart disease and making people pay more attention to their health and seek help from specialists in time.
In community settings, the role of the nurse is to ensure continuity of care for patients with cardiovascular disease. This includes both patient care provided directly by the nurse, and the involvement of additional services to ensure the necessary additional assistance to the patient. In such settings, the nurse is not only a healthcare worker, but also an informant and coordinator of all patient care processes. Therefore, the nurse’s tasks may include raising the patient’s awareness of their illness, developing a diet and exercise plan that takes into account socioeconomic factors, and ensuring that the patient has access to social care services. In addition, the nurse should inform the patient’s family and close circle about the specifics of dealing with a specific type of cardiovascular disease. This, among other things, includes an algorithm of actions in case of an emergency or a heart attack in a patient. Moreover, the work of a nurse in community settings involves finding community resources that can provide additional patient care. If the patient has a low income that is not enough to provide proper treatment and care, the nurse can help with finding and selecting financial support programs.
Conclusion
Congestive heart failure is one of the most common diseases of the cardiovascular system. This condition is characterized by the fact that the human heart is unable to pump the amount of blood, which is necessary for normal body functioning. This disease is most often congenital and occurs as a result of changes in the structure of the heart valves or weakening of the heart muscle (American Heart Association, 2022b). Congestive heart failure is dangerous because insufficient blood flow to the internal organs can cause serious disturbances in their work. Furthermore, this disease is incurable, which is why patients with this diagnosis require long-term continuous care. Patients with congestive heart failure can improve with proper treatment and a healthy lifestyle. The patient’s condition depends on factors such as the type of heart failure, the person’s age, and the presence of concomitant diseases.
References
American Heart Association (2022a). About Us. Web.
American Heart Association (2022b). Congestive heart failure and congenital defects. Web.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (n.d). About the NHLBI. Web.