Abstract
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement has become the treatment of choice in aortic stenosis for high-risk patients and an effective and safe alternative in intermediate and low-risk cases. The success of the procedure, good outcomes, increasing indications and an ageing population have led to an exponential increase in transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedures, leading to the development of specifics programmes.
Our aim was to redesign our transcatheter aortic valve replacement programme by implementing a nurse role to improve the quality and efficiency in the clinical management of candidate patients. We developed a protocol based on comprehensive, coordinated and patient-centred care, with a multidisciplinary character, reinforcing the nurse role as coordinator-facilitator.
The nurse role was implemented in 2022 in our hospital. We described the responsibilities assumed by the nurse during pre-, intra- and post- transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedure phases. The main pillars were patient and family education, holistic assessment, as well as ensuring continuity of care by accompanying the patient and family throughout the entire process. The transition to a minimalist approach together with the implementation of an early discharge protocol has helped to reduce the hospital stay.
Developing patient-centred programmes and giving importance to information, education, accompaniment and management of patients' motivations and expectations helped to improve their satisfaction during the process. Monitoring the patient's perceived experience of the process allowed us to detect areas for improvement in order to move towards quality care.