The overall aims are:

  • To improve cardiovascular nursing practice by developing knowledge of the patient perspective and investigating effective and appropriate interventions considering the nature of disease and the individual patient.
  • To provide a dynamic and strong nursing research infrastructure to address the health care needs of patients with cardiovascular diseases.
  • To generate knowledge of high quality using relevant methodological approaches to gain the best insight into research questions relevant to cardiac health care practice.
  • To increase evidence based practice by critically transforming research into cardiovascular clinical health care practice
  • To improve interdisciplinary, intersectional, national and international research collaborations in order to gain new insights and perspectivesto improve cardiovascular health care.

The research concerns:

  • Transitions from a patient and organisational perspective
  • Stratification strategies, tools and models
  • Person-centered care

In order to strengthen cardiovascular nursing research regarding special patient groups we have recently established three research groups related to; patients with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and patients with heart failure (HF).

Patients with coronary heart disease (CHD)

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of premature death worldwide. Nursing research focuses on improving health of patients with CHD from the acute phase to the end of rehabilitation as well as preventing CHD in patients with verified cardiovascular risk. To make sure that the individual nurse is able to adjust nursing care and meet the needs of each patient, more nursing research is needed. The main research perspectives are everyday life, psychosocial factors, cognitive function, differences in outcome between genders and variation in treatment.

Patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)

ICDs save lives in multiple populations at risk for sudden death. As indications for ICD therapy continue to expand the population of patients receiving an ICD continues to grow. Nursing research focuses on ethical, psychological, physical, everyday life and age aspects of being a person with an ICD. Psycho-social support to patients as well as their relatives is an important research area and intervention studies are necessary to point out the best ways to support transition processes to life with a chronic disease or with a potential risk or to support transition at the end of life.

Patients with heart failure (HF)

The prevalence of patients with HF continues to increase due to improved treatment of cardiovascular diseases earlier in life and due to the ageing of European populations. Self-care is considered a key to improving concordance, quality of life and decreasing hospitalisation and morbidity in patients with chronic HF. The research areas in our team are related to symptoms, patients’ experiences and management of symptoms in everyday life and communication between patients and professionals. The overall aims for future studies are to develop effective person-centered interventions and communication methods for follow up, psycho-educational support and counselling to reduce symptoms, increase well-being and self-care in patients with chronic HF.

Contacts


Anne Ankerstjerne, RN, Master of Health Science anneraus@rm.dk
Anne Birgitte Vogelsang, MPH, PhD student, annvog@rm.dk
Charlotte Fuglesang Christensen, BA phil., MHH, MPA, chachris@rm.dk
Inge Schjødt, RN, MSc (in Nursing) ingeschj@rm.dk
Irene Sommer, RN, MCN, irensomm@rm.dk
Jette Svanholm, RN, MSc, PhD, jette.svanholm@skejby.rm.dk
Jytte Troldborg, RN, MLP, jyttro@rm.dk
Karina Nielsen, RN, MSc (in Nursing) karina.nielsen@rm.dk
Rikke Elmose Mols, RN, rikkmols@rm.dk