Nurse s he re are first to perform pioneering surgery

AN IRISH nursing team has become the first to surgically implant a tiny device enabling stroke patients to have their heart rate and rhythm monitored from their own homes.

Nora Cunningham and Sheila Ryan are among the first nurses qualified to conduct the procedure, which previously had to be performed by cardiologists on stroke or syncope patients.

Advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs) Ms Cunningham and Ms Ryan spent most of the past two years researching and training.

They had proposed that a nurse-led service could relieve pressures on cardiologists in the hospital’s busy cardiology department and significantly reduce waiting times for patients in need of the implant.

With only one other cardiology nurse delivering the service in Ireland, Ms Ryan is the only syncope nurse in the country qualified to carry out the implantation, and Ms Cunningham is the world’s only stroke nurse qualified in the procedure.

The implantable loop recorder device provides data on a patient’s heart rate and rhythm over an extended period.

Ms Cunningham said she was “delighted to be able to lead out on this service and to be the first stroke nurse in the world to take on this role”.

“It will facilitate a fantastic service for patients at UHL, and it represents the future for our health service through innovation and the passion for change,” she said.

The implanted device can monitor a patient’s heart rate and rhythm for up to three years, providing the most reliable picture of the health of patients who have experienced strokes or loss of consciousness.

Patients using the device can contact the nursing team for advice if they experience any symptoms.