Integrating Early Palliative Care for Patients with Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of hospital readmissions. At the project site, early palliative care was inconsistently integrated despite strong evidence of benefit, suggesting that limited staff knowledge, lack of standardized referral processes, and uncertainty regarding referral timing contributed to this practice gap. The guiding practice-focused question was, “Does educating staff on early palliative care integration for HF patients improve knowledge as measured by pre- and post-education surveys? The Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice (JHEBP) model and the ADDIE instructional design model guided project development and implementation. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL Complete, ProQuest, and the Cochrane Library. Of 30 sources identified, 11 high-quality research and non-research articles informed project design. Expert consensus statements and clinical guidelines supported development of an educational intervention focused on early palliative care principles, referral criteria, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The intervention consisted of two structured, in-person educational sessions for 12 participates including cardiology and interdisciplinary palliative care staff, supported by a PowerPoint presentation and pre- and post-education surveys. Results demonstrated a significant improvement in staff knowledge and confidence related to early palliative care integration, with mean scores increasing by 39.99%. This project is significant to nursing practice by strengthening nurses’ knowledge and confidence in early palliative care, supporting timely symptom management, effective care coordination, and improved care transitions for patients with HF.