Background
In the context of the rehabilitation of myocardial infarction (MI) patients, interprofessional collaboration is a particular requirement. It should therefore be considered that the professions involved in this cooperation are professionalized to different degrees and the role of nurses within interprofessional teams, especially during the initial phase of rehabilitation, is evidently not clearly defined. Therefore, the purpose of this integrative review is to provide an overview of the current state of research on this subject and to clarify the capacity of nurses in this setting.
Methods
Qualitative and quantitative studies in English and German investigating the nursing of MI patients within the inpatient setting were included in this systematic review. The issues and content of these studies were extracted systematically and a narrative synthesis was performed to develop the main features of nursing in this context.
Results
In total, 8 quantitative and 2 qualitative studies were included. According to these studies, during the initial phase of rehabilitation of MI patients, nurses are responsible for training sessions and counseling, in addition to assistance and support in medical treatment and the coping process. As case managers, they also form a link to further care. The studies included showed what nursing practice for MI patients consists of, but it was marginally apparent how this practice is performed and how far it is professionalized. This was only indicated from interviews with patients and nurses, but not from investigations of nursing practice itself.
Conclusion
The results of this review present points of reference for the further development of nursing practice and cooperation in interprofessional teams. Moreover, investigations of the actual nursing practice from a professional–theoretical point of view are required to find out how far nurses are actually involved as a profession within the teams and what potential they have to develop.