Heart failure clinics are associated with clinical benefit in both tertiary and community care settings: data from the Improving Cardiovascular Outcomes in Nova Scotia (ICONS) registry.

Background: Heart failure (HF) clinics are known to improve outcomes of patients with HF. Studies have been limited to single, usually tertiary centres whose experience may not apply to the general HF population.

Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of HF clinics in reducing death or all-cause rehospitalization in a real-world population.

The art of nursing: communication and self-expression.

Nursing is considered both an art and a science, yet the nature of art and science has been historically depicted as two distinct fields of inquiry in the health professions. To meet the health challenges of the future, blending science and art through nursing theory, research, and practice is critical. This article describes how nurses in a master's of nursing program at Dalhousie University broke with tradition for the practicum course to articulate and apply the theoretical elements of knowing using aesthetic inquiry.

Hyponatremia and the nursing implications.

Serum sodium concentration plays a major role in the body's volume status. Low serum sodium levels can be dangerous and even fatal if hyponatremia is severe. The key to understanding hyponatremia is relating it to volume status.