The Role of Nurse Practitioners in the Management of Heart Failure Patients and Programs

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The goal of this paper is to highlight the multifaceted approach heart failure (HF) nurse practitioners (NPs) use to manage patients. We were seeking to answer if NPs have the scope of clinical skills to manage the complexity of HF patients. RECENT FINDINGS: NP care in HF has been shown to reduce readmissions, improve timeliness of visits, decrease cost, and improve quality outcomes in small heterogeneous studies. SUMMARY: The evidence supports that NPs provide multifaceted, patient-centered care for at all stages on the continuum of HF. Our goals as NPs are to reduce the healthcare financial strain and improve access to high quality care. Telehealth is an emerging technology that shows promise in HF management by improving access and decreasing readmissions. Telehealth use and recognition increased with the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research should focus on NP run clinics, cost effectiveness, and quality of care.