Purpose: The aim of this article is to use Walker and Avant's methodological approach to provide clarity and a definition of optimum function as it relates to patients with heart failure (HF).
Background: Understanding optimum function in patients with HF can help advanced practice nurses (APNs) identify clinical signs of deterioration. Interpreting patient descriptions of signs and symptoms may be the first cues prior to diagnosis.
Data source: Literature searches included electronic scientific databases and a manual search. Literature from 2005 to 2013 was reviewed. Themes were searched for function. The text was limited to English language peer-reviewed articles, resulting in 43 articles and 3 books in the analysis.
Conclusion: A definition of optimum function was developed from a synthesis of the literature's common themes. The four defining attributes include: multidimensional aspect (physical, cognitive, psychosocial, physiological, and spiritual), achieving a desired goal, dynamic and relative change (compared with previous functioning), and most favorable level of functioning. Defining optimum function in patients with HF provides clarity of patient communication to and between APNs. The concept promotes patient-centered care, enabling goal adjustment by the patient and APN. The concept analysis facilitates a deeper understanding of communication during the patient encounter.
Keywords: Advanced practice nurse; heart failure; optimum function.
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