Credit
Matthew Manor
Living with atrial fibrillation (the most common type of arrhythmia or abnormal heartbeat) can be worrying. Many times, patients are quick to visit an emergency department even though, when it's managed, their condition is rarely a medical emergency.
Danielle Hart, the nurse practitioner who leads the atrial fibrillation (AFib) clinic at Kingston Health Sciences Centre’s (KHSC) Hotel Dieu Hospital site, has found a simple solution to change this.
"Once a patient living with atrial fibrillation is connected with me, I call to check in when they have changes in treatment, or to see if they have any questions or concerns," says Hart. "Many times these patients don’t need to come to the emergency department, they just need to have confidence in understanding their symptoms.”
Hart’s work has been instrumental in reducing trips to the KHSC emergency department for AFib patients living in Kingston. Her efforts were recently highlighted in the Journal of Nursing Care Quality.
“I am very motivated by supporting people," says Hart. "I have a desire to help patients live successfully with chronic conditions and help families understand abnormal heartbeats so they can support their loved ones.”
When it comes to maintaining heart health, she has three pieces of ‘Hart’ advice;
“Try to eat healthy, move more every day, and learn everything you can about your condition to take control of your heart health.”
