Global Cardiovascular Nursing Leadership Forum Launches Comprehensive Online Resource to Coordinate Heart Disease Prevention Efforts Worldwide
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Katy Walter
Communications Specialist
P: 608-442-3442 | E: kwalter@pcna.net
MADISON, WI – February 9, 2016 – The Global Cardiovascular Nursing Leadership Forum (GCNLF), an initiative of the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA), today announced the launch of a new global patient education resource and information clearinghouse to facilitate the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke around the world. The new website, at www.gcnlf.org, includes general information about GCNLF, a patient education resource library, connections to partner organizations, upcoming event information and more.
“While cardiovascular disease and stroke are largely preventable, they remain a global epidemic and the major cause of death worldwide,” says Laura Hayman, PhD, RN, FPCNA, FAAN, Chair of the PCNA International Committee. “Recognizing that nurses and nursing organizations are on the front lines of patient education, our primary goal is to engage and mobilize an international community of nursing leaders to promote CVD prevention in clinical practice and through research, education, and policy.”
The new website also serves as a source of information about GCNLF itself, which was established under the umbrella of PCNA in 2014. At its core, the collaborative and global nature of GCNLF explores ways in which nursing and global nursing organizations can support the established cardiovascular risk reduction and stroke reduction goal set by the World Heart Federation to reduce deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) 25% by 2025. The massive global toll of NCDs – including CVD and stroke – deepens poverty, impedes development, threatens health systems and is a major cause of disability and health inequality.
GCNLF’s major areas of focus include: Identifying, engaging and mobilizing the international community of cardiovascular nursing leadership; cultivating the role of nurses as ambassadors in CVD prevention; collaborating with other healthcare providers and international organizations dedicated to the prevention of CVD and stroke; and working to develop practices, policies and educational programs that help nurses around the world adhere to evidence-based practice guidelines while taking into account advancements in CVD risk reduction and stroke prevention (including those focused on cultural and gender differences).
“As nurses form the largest healthcare discipline globally, we work from the premise that nurses have the capacity to influence and motivate health behavior change of individuals at risk for CVD and stroke,” says Hayman. “In addition, we’re aiming to develop a stronger and more reliable mechanism for outreach to low income and middle income countries where organized nursing practice and presence is not as well established.”
Having convened for its first global summit in New York City in 2014, GCNLF is planning its next major gathering in Europe later this year. International attendees at this working strategy meeting will focus on developing a strategic action and implementation plan for the focus areas identified as GCNLF priorities, including global nursing education, the sharing of resources and expanding leadership opportunities for nurses worldwide.
For more information on the Global Cardiovascular Nursing Leadership Forum, visit www.gcnlf.org.