Discharge and follow-up
Before discharge from hospital,patients with UA/NSTEMI should be educated about the need for lifestyle and risk factor modification. NPs can play a critical role in this phase of disease management,particularly in a primary care practice. The 2002 ACC/AHA guidelines retain the earlier recommendations regarding lifestyle modification, including smoking cessation,achievement of optimal bodyweight, daily exercise, and dietary change, blood pressure management, and glycemic control (HbA1c < 7.0%) in diabetics (Braunwald et al., 2002a). A growing body of evidence confirms that risk factor management improves clinical outcomes and quality of life (Smith et al., 2006).