NURSING AN AILING HEART

By: Mr. Jhune Huyo Guirjen, BSN, RN

Charge Oncology Nurse, Infusion Unit

The noticeable simplicity in the structure of the heart and the cardiovascular

system gives lie to the complex, but rational mutual dependence between its structure and

function to a person’s health status. As evident in health statistics, heart diseases are still

taking the lead in the causes of illness and death worldwide. In fact, the American Heart

Association in 2001 reports that disease of the heart and blood vessels is the leading

cause of death in the United States for men and women of all racial and ethnic groups,

and more women die of cardiovascular disease than all types of cancers combined. This

is because heart disease is not only limited to a certain age group or economic class –

from an infant with a congenital cardiac disease to an elderly with hypertension or heart

attack, whether rich or poor – anyone can be a candidate especially if one does not take

good care of his or her health such as engaging into a regular physical activity, dynamic

lifestyle, and eating a balanced meal.

As a nurse, various nursing problems can be identified in assessing a client with

either an actual or potential heart disease, taking into account the procurement of a

comprehensive and reliable health history and physical examination. Even if heart

disease is broad with various signs, symptoms, and complications arising from various

origins, the resolution of such heart ailment revolves into a single important nursing

intervention – to provide rest, but in a holistic manner and not just physical relaxation.
Resting the heart…stopping the beat?

While it is impossible to “rest” the heart similar to casting a fractured extremity or

placing a patch in a strained eye, the only things which can be done, as pointed out by

Gunda Engen, RN (American Journal of Nursing, 1931), are to rest the whole body in

order to relieve any additional strain on the heart, to strengthen the heart by drugs, and to

see that the whole body is kept in as healthy a condition as possible. This is the only way

in which the heart can really “take a rest.” Health care providers and the patient’s family

must, in his or her own capacity, make sure that the patient gets enough rest. It is the

nurse’s ideal role to focus on the clinical needs of the patient as well as the educational

and supportive requirements for both patients and family.

Nursing a broken heart

Emotional heart illness, akin to any structural and functional heart disease, also

brings about a decline in the general welfare of the patient. Feeling so brokenhearted

after a hard breakup with a partner, conflict with a colleague, or a simple family

argument can throw one’s self off track involving feelings of loneliness, sadness, and

unbearable pain and fright. Surely, this is not an easy journey to get on though it is

something that everyone goes through at one point or another in their life.

The same intervention goes with resolving an ailing heart in the context of

feelings and emotions. Some time out is needed to think about what happened and to

rediscover self, to learn from the past and move on to a new and better you.

Nevertheless, things must be dealt with slowly as one cannot get over the pain in one day.

While it is typical to feel sad and alone like nobody around you can understand what you
are going through, it must be noted that this is just a false impression your mind is

creating, because you are not the only person suffering from a broken heart and definitely

not the last. Getting hurt is unavoidable in a world where relationships are the order of

the day.