Investing in cardiology nurses leads to better patient outcomes

Published: 24 September 2024

Two cardiology nurse specialists have been awarded funding for advanced training as nurse practitioners, enabling them to provide a wider range of services for patients in their care.

The Heart Foundation has awarded two nurse specialists, Josephine Yelavich and Tania Whare (Ngāti Tahinga, Tainui), a Nurse Practitioner Training Fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease. This advanced training will enable them access to a broader range of services to help improve clinical flow, access healthcare resources and enable better patient outcomes.

The nurses, who both work at Auckland City Hospital | Te Whatu Ora Te Toka Tumai Auckland, will be able to help patients in their care receive faster diagnosis and treatment.

Nurse practitioners can assess, diagnose and treat conditions beyond the scope of a registered nurse. They can interpret diagnostic tests, prescribe medications and provide treatment interventions for patients, while also supporting their social needs.

Dr Gerry Devlin, Heart Foundation Medical Director, says investing in nurse practitioner training is vital. “Increasing the number of nurse practitioners is essential in New Zealand, as reinforced by our well documented health professional shortages. Specifically in cardiology, the availability of more cardiology nurse practitioners will potentially transform heart health outcomes for patients and their families.”

“They have access to more rapid treatments and interventions that will relieve some of the pressure on medical specialists and lead to better patient outcomes.”

Managing patient care

Josephine Yelavich, a Heart Rhythm Nurse Specialist, provides expert care for patients with arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms). Becoming a nurse practitioner will enable her to manage patient care as the lead healthcare provider in partnership with patients’ families.

This will involve leading outpatient clinics, assisting with inpatient care, and managing cardiac devices, for example, thus allowing the Heart Rhythm/Electrophysiology service to provide more accessible care to patients. 

“The increased scope of practice and autonomy will extend my assessment skills and treatment interventions and help improve patient access and care coordination,” says Josephine.

“This could have a flow-on effect of reducing waitlists and hospital admissions within cardiology.”

One tangible benefit is enabling patients to be seen and treated earlier, particularly at First Specialist Assessment cardiology outpatient clinics.

Meeting the needs of communities

As nurse practitioners, both nurses can also address the social needs of patients in their care, including arranging transport to and from clinics and making referrals to social workers.

Providing grassroots services such as these helps increase access to healthcare for Māori and Pacific Peoples who are overrepresented in health statistics including heart disease.

Tania Whare (Ngāti Tahinga, Tainui), a Cardiology Interventional Nurse Specialist and an aspiring Māori nurse practitioner, believes in adopting Māori and Pacific health models to fit the needs of patients and their whānau, including “taking cardiology to our most vulnerable people in marae and churches.” 

“Māori nurse practitioners are vital to improving equity and outcomes for Māori patients and their whānau, as they have the ability to understand and address the poor social determinants that significantly affect indigenous health.”

Tania says the nurse practitioner training will help her deliver Māori- and Pacific-specific heart health models, to improve care and provide a positive health journey.