Nurses Aiding in Patients with Congenital Heart Disease Transition from the Pediatric to the Adult Healthcare Setting

Advancing medical and surgical care has cause for there to be a rapidly growing population of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD). Now that pediatric patients with CHD are living into adulthood there is a problem with the lack of transitional care these patients receive. The lack of transitional care has led to many issues that adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients face such as a lack of autonomy and knowledge, which contributes to an increased chance for a lapse in their care. Lapses in care lead to greater risks of heart failure, arrhythmias, morbidity, and premature death. Research revealed that there is a gap in the transitional care process for patients with CHD from the pediatric to adult healthcare setting that needs to be addressed. Nurses can aid in this process by establishing habits of independence as well as teaching CHD patients about their condition and its care requirements at a younger age. This creative project aims to educate nurses working in the pediatric cardiovascular acute care setting on ways they can aid in the transition process of patients with CHD as they grow out of the pediatric care setting and into the adult care setting in order to establish continuity of care.