Standing on the shoulders of giants: Reflecting on the history and creation of the new Association of Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions

On 28 August 2018, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) General Assembly in Munich voted to create a new association: the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions (ACNAP). Associations are the highest organizational level in the ESC family and ACNAP is now the seventh association of the ESC, joining the Acute Cardiovascular Care Association (ACCA), European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI), European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC), European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) and the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC. This transformation is a huge step forward for our professions and a true recognition of the work of cardiovascular nurses and allied professions. It enables our community to play a much more central and influential part in the delivery of optimum cardiovascular care by collaborating and contributing at an equal level with other subspecialties and associations within the ESC. In addition, it provides a stronger united voice for our professions in Europe and beyond and we should seize this opportunity because we have important knowledge to share. This association was not built in one day. It has been a long journey, with many people devoting their time and lots of energy to move this field forward. Cardiovascular nurses have been important contributors to improving cardiovascular health since the initiation of the coronary care units in the 1960s. The ESC Working Group on Cardiovascular Nursing was founded in 1991 with the aim of improving education and to support and initiate research activities in cardiovascular nursing. Attie Immink was vital in founding the Working Group and was followed by six chairpersons who contributed to growth and development.1,2 Three very important initiatives were undertaken by the Working Group: the annual spring meetings, the launch of the now top-ranking European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing in 20023 and the establishment of the Undertaking Nursing Interventions Throughout Europe (UNITE) Study Group in 2000,4 which aimed to carry out international research with significant impact on patient care.2 Ten years later, in 2001, the ESC Board created the grounds for establishing an ESC Council, with one of the aims being to address the issue of specialist training and continuing education in cardiovascular nursing and allied professions. Four years later, the Working Group on Cardiovascular Nursing explored in more detail the needs and advantages of a transformation into an ESC Council. One of the key issues behind these considerations was an increasing need for an umbrella organization representing a horizontal structure to coordinate the activities of cardiovascular nurses and allied professions within the various ESC bodies. Members of the Working Group were becoming increasingly involved in transversal activities in the other ESC Associations, in Guideline Committees and in educational programmes. In addition, the Working Group members were being invited to arrange sessions at the ESC main and subspecialty conferences.1 The ESC Council of Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions (CCNAP) was officially created on 5 September 2006 after voting during the General Assembly of the ESC at the World Congress of Cardiology in Barcelona. The transformation was led by the first chair of CCNAP, Professor Tone Merete Norekvål. The mission of CCNAP was to promote excellence in cardiovascular nursing and allied professions through practice, education and research. CCNAP has been behind several key developments that have laid the foundation for the strategic directions of ACNAP to date. For instance, the portfolio of educational resources expanded to include a core curriculum identifying key themes to support the continuing professional education of nurses working in cardiovascular settings. The curriculum represents a significant step forward towards the harmonization of education of cardiovascular nurses.5 The portfolio of e-learning, which offers webinars and a clinical case gallery to help nurses and allied professionals learn from real-life, practice-based scenarios, was being developed. A comprehensive Guidelines Implementation Toolkit, the Be Guidelines Smart initiative, was launched to encourage nurses and allied professionals to play a significant part in implementing the ESC clinical, practice guidelines and advocate for evidence-based practice.6 Within the research area, the CCNAP science committee was founded in 2010,7 research mentorship programmes and awards were developed to support career advancement and training, and CCNAP became involved in collaborative research projects with other ESC associations, such as the ESC secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease programme.8 The annual spring meeting was re-launched as the EuroHeartCare congress. With this new focus, the congress expanded its reach from the northwestern European axis to our southeastern neighbours, with new congress destinations such as Dubrovnik. Key collaborations between CCNAP and national societies in southern and eastern Europe were formed and the first chair from a southern European country, Ekaterini Lambrinou, was appointed in 2016 with a two-year mandate to lead CCNAP. ACNAP consists of a board with 17 members, five committees (education, science, congress programme, nominating and a national societies) and the editorial board of the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. The mission of ACNAP remains to build excellence in cardiovascular care through supporting the practice, education and research of nurses and allied professionals and advocating on their behalf. The first three months of the life of ACNAP have focused on building up the internal structure of the association, ensuring key roles for nurses and allied professions within the ESC organization to strengthen the influence of our community, to identify key global partnerships and in setting priorities for the future. Selected key strategic priorities in the coming years are to relaunch the EuroHeartCare congress model in an even better format to make it the annual “must attend” event. Understanding the needs of allied professional members of ACNAP and focusing on young professionals are a priority. A summit for allied professionals is planned to occur during EuroHeartCare 2019 in Milan, Italy and an ACNAP Young Community will be launched, recognizing that support and preparation of future specialist and leaders are key priorities. We are now expanding our range of online educational offers. We also have a dedicated task force exploring the possibilities for ACNAP to provide certification of education and training to ensure that we have transferable skills globally and increased recognition of our specialist knowledge and expertise. ACNAP will continue to support researchers in the form of grants, awards and networking opportunities and will actively seek to develop research projects within the association, collaborative projects across bodies and position papers, and to ensure strong continuing ACNAP representation in ESC Guidelines. Professor Donna Fitzsimons, a past Chair of CCNAP, is now leading the ESC patient engagement strategy, including an ESC patient forum to which ACNAP will build a strong link. ACNAP also well represented within the ESC Digital Health Committee, ensuring that development of the digital strategy has a strong focus on integration, implementation and patient-centred use. ACNAP is your association, and the direction of our association depends on your involvement. Please continue to support ACNAP and stay tuned to the activities at www.escardio.org/Sub-specialty-communities/Association-of-Cardiovascular-Nursing-&-Allied-Professions. If not already a member, become part of the ACNAP (www.escardio.org/Sub-specialty-communities/Association-of-Cardiovascular-Nursing-&-Allied-Professions/Membership-and-Communities) and consider joining one of our committees. It is a great way to become part of an important conversation about the contribution that nurses and allied professionals make to the ESC and to the cardiovascular health of people globally. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest. This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.