Practice nurses to help bridge the gap in cholesterol management
Tuesday May 19, 2009
New educational program aims to up-skill nurses in chronic disease screening and management
Practice nurses can now become more involved in helping fight Australia's biggest killer. The recently launched clinical nurse education program "Bridging the Gap" is aimed at up-skilling nurses in the early detection and management of hypercholesterolaemia - a major risk factor in cardiovascular disease.
Practice nurses have an increasingly important role to play in chronic disease management, especially in bridging the current evidence-treatment gap in the area of cardiovascular disease. "Bridging the Gap" acknowledges the involvement of practice nurses in the diagnosis and day-to-day support of patients with elevated blood cholesterol by providing education in key areas relevant to their role, including, prevention, screening for risk factors and discussion on appropriate interventions.
Elevated blood cholesterol is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of mortality in Australia, which accounts for 34 percent of all deaths. Despite having been a National Health Priority since the early 90's, cardiovascular disease still kills one Australian nearly every 10 minutes.
The "Bridging the Gap" program, which is supported by Pfizer Australia, is accredited by the Royal College of Nursing and the Australian Practice Nurses Association and earns participants three Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points. The sessions run for three hours and include interactive case study components. Upon enrolment, educational support is available through a dedicated program website.
The program will be rolled-out nationwide, providing practice nurses all over Australia the opportunity to increase their knowledge of cholesterol screening and management.
The next program is scheduled to take place at the upcoming Practice Nurse Clinical Education (PNCE) conference in Sydney on 23 May. This conference runs concurrently with the General Practice Conference and Exhibition, which takes place at the Dome and Exhibition Hall, Sydney Showground.
The program will also be available throughout 2009 in the following locations:
- - Perth, WA, 24-25 July, Burswood Entertainment Complex
- - Cairns, QLD, 21-22 August, Cairns Colonial Club
- - Adelaide, SA, 15-16 October, Adelaide Technology Park
- - Melbourne, VIC 14-15 November, Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre
For more information or to enrol in "Bridging the Gap", please visit the PNCE website www.pnce.com.au