• Karen Harkness, Melisa A Spaling, Kay Currie, Patricia H Strachan, and Alexander M Clark.
• Karen Harkness, PhD, RN, CCN(C) Clinician Scientist, School of Nursing, Heart Function Clinic, McMaster University, and Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Melisa A. Spaling, MEd Research Assistant, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Kay Currie, PhD, RN Reader, School of Health & Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland, United Kingdom. Patricia H. Strachan, PhD, RN Associate Professor, School of Nursing, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Alexander M. Clark, PhD, RN Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
• J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2015 Mar 1; 30 (2): 121-35.

BackgroundSelf-care is at the foundation for living with a chronic condition such as heart failure (HF). Patients with HF express difficulty with translating self-care knowledge into understanding "how" to engage in these activities and behaviors. Understanding the strategies that patients develop to engage in self-care will help healthcare providers (HCPs) improve support for unmet self-care needs of HF patients. The purpose of this systematic review was to highlight strategies that HF patients use to accommodate self-care recommendations into the reality of their daily lives.MethodsA systematic review using qualitative meta-synthesis was carried out. Included studies had to contain a qualitative component and data pertaining to self-care of HF from adults older than 18 years and be published as full papers/theses beginning 1995. Ten databases were searched until March 19, 2012.ResultsOf 1421 papers identified by the search, 47 were included. Studies involved the following: 1377 patients, 45% women, mean age of 67 years (range, 25-98 years), 145 caregivers, and 15 HCPs. Approaches to self-care reflected both perception- and action-based strategies and were a means to effectively manage HF. Although HF patients often expressed difficulty on how to integrate self-care recommendations into their daily lives, they developed intentional, planned strategies that harnessed previous experiences.ConclusionsHealthcare providers must appreciate that patients view self-care as an "adaptation" that they undertake to maintain their independence and quality of life. In addition, HCPs must recognize that because self-care is a process of learning over time from experience, an individualized approach that emphasizes how to self-care must be adopted for patients to develop the necessary HF self-care skills.

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