This book serves as the "go-to" resource for cardiovascular nurses and other health care practitioners involved in the care of patients with acquired valvular heart disease. It includes unique information about heart valve anatomy and pathophysiology, the complexity of clinical presentations and diagnostic evaluation, patient education and shared decision-making, surgical and transcatheter treatment options, and transition to palliative care. The content focuses primarily on the specialized care of patients with aortic stenosis and regurgitation, and mitral and tricuspid regurgitation.

In addition, this unique resource provides timely information to guide a patient-centred and team-driven approach that reflects contemporary and innovative practice in the management of valvular heart disease. The essential topics of strengthening the multidisciplinary Heart Team and programmatic processes of care, the priorities for nursing care, and the multifactorial challenges of managing this complex patient population are explored in detail. Importantly, this resource aims to support all clinicians who are involved in the various timepoints of patients' full trajectory of care, from their evaluation pathway, admissions for treatment, and long term follow-up.

Clinicians require contemporary knowledge and evidence to guide their practice, provide appropriate care for this complex patient population, and contribute to the advancement of practice. To date, there has been little emphasis placed on the management of valvular heart disease in cardiovascular nursing and allied health curriculum. This book fills this gap and addresses the pressing need for a user-friendly resource to guide the care for this growing population in a rapidly changing clinical environment.

The editors are international leaders in the care and management of patients with acquired valvular heart disease and program development. They are widely recognizedfor their pioneering role in shaping the way we care for these patients.

Marian C. Hawkey's profile page

Sandra B. Lauck's profile page

Marian Hawkey is a registered nurse at Hackensack University Medical Center, USA. She has a nursing background in cardiac and critical care, and has specialized in the field of transcatheter heart valve therapy since 2006. She's an invited speaker at national and international cardiology meetings, and has co-authored multiple manuscripts on topics relevant to the care of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Ms. Hawkey has collaborated on the development of national training courses for nurses and allied health professionals working in the transcatheter valve therapy field.

Sandra Lauck is a nurse clinician scientist at the Centre for Heart Valve Innovation at St. Paul's Hospital. Dr. Lauck holds a PhD in nursing from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver Canada where she is a Clinical Associate Professor. She is an international leader and author of multiple publications related to TAVR program development and cardiovascular nursing. She leads multidisciplinary research focused on the development of clinical interventions to support innovation in cardiac care and the measurement of patient-reported outcomes.