State of the science: posthospitalization nursing interventions in congestive heart failure.

Nursing's role as key healthcare providers who give emotional support and teach self-care to patients with congestive heart failure has evolved substantially in recent years. The purpose of this article is to provide a systematic evaluation of the impact of posthospital nursing interventions in the management of heart failure. Four models of nursing interventions emerged: home-based nursing interventions, multidisciplinary interventions, heart failure clinics, and telephone- or technology-based nursing interventions. On the basis of currently available data, posthospital nursing interventions in congestive heart failure can improve clinical outcomes and decrease healthcare costs and resource use.