Dilwalk

DIL Walk Foundation

Nurses diary

Challenges as a Heart Failure Nurse

As a Heart Failure Nurse, I’ve encountered two main challenges: language barriers, which can lead to miscommunication and compromise the patient-nurse relationship, and non-adherence to medication, which disrupts continuity of care and increases the risk of hospitalization.

Language Barrier:

Many of the patients I see in our CHARM clinic are from the South Asian community. Non-English speaking patients are advised to bring a family member who can translate, but some still come alone, making it difficult for me to properly assess and educate them. Sometimes, I’ve had to call a coworker to translate, only to later receive calls from family members asking about the visit—requiring me to repeat everything. I believe it’s crucial to educate family members on the seriousness of heart failure and the importance of being involved in care. When I speak with family members, I always emphasize the need for them to attend clinic visits to learn how to support their loved ones, including understanding the importance of limiting salt and oil, making healthy food choices, and encouraging exercise.

Non-Adherence with Medication:

Non-adherence to medication regimens can lead to increased use of medical resources, including more doctor visits, lab tests, unnecessary treatments, and hospitalizations. Some patients mistakenly believe that if they are asymptomatic, they can stop taking their medications. I always educate them that these medications are prescribed not just to treat symptoms but to prevent them from worsening, which could lead to hospitalization.

Heart failure affects hundreds of thousands of Canadians. It’s a complex, fatal, and often misunderstood condition that eventually impacts nearly everyone with heart disease. It leaves patients and families exhausted and overwhelmed, while putting serious strain on our healthcare system. In my view, as a nurse working in a community Heart Function Clinic run on a charitable basis, the government could play a significant role in raising awareness about heart disease through funding. With support, we could organize seminars, exercise programs, consultations, and more to promote heart health.