Nursing Information - Nursing Inservice Notes

We recommend that inserviceattendees watch the seven-minute “Nursing Inservice & Patient Education”
videotape at the beginning of the inservice and practice applying and using Heart Hugger on each other during
the inservice. If possience in complianceble, have your patient watch the video with their significant other(s) prior to surgery—
this can make a big differ

Heart Hugger is usually applied to the patient soon after they are extubated.  The patient must be supported to sit forward in bed to get fit and adjust Heart Hugger. Patients cannot move their arms much. The shoulder straps are fitted with side release buckles  not shown in the video) to make it easier to fit the patient and to get around any lines. The most common problem with fitting Heart Hugger is adjusting the handles too closely together.  Make sure they’re far enough apart so that when the patient squeezes them together,  the chest belt tightens up enough to provide support. The most typical complaint is that as the patient slides down in bed, Heart Hugger rides up the   patient’s back, causing the handles to fall below the patient’s sternum.   When the patient is readjusted in bed, Heart Hugger should be pulled down in back to reposition  the handles correctly at about the patient’s nipple line for Men, and above the breasts for women. Remember to advise the patient to use “fingertips only” when using Heart Hugger.  The handles are designed to accommodate the fingertips. Placing the hand completely through  the handle risks disturbing the eternal wound. As the patient gets stronger and more mobile following surgery,  the handles can be adjusted further apart to provide more support when squeezed together. Heart Hugger is usually readjusted to fit over the patient’s street clothes at  discharge and continues to be worn from up to six weeks post-discharge. While principally used by the patient, Heart Hugger is useful to their care providers by providing them with handles to help readjust the patient in bed and to help the patient in sitting up or getting  into and out of beds and chairs. Simple fitting and adjustment instructions are located on the Heart Hugger itself