title: Vascular nursing in Greece: luxury or necessity?
abstract: Although peripheral arterial disease is prevalent in the primary care setting, insufficient vascular education among nurses and physicians coupled with certain economic constraints undermines treatment efficacy. Moreover, the burden of advanced venous pathology such as posthrombotic syndrome, venous ulcers, and lymphedema remains suboptimally treated. This article advocates the development of a vascular nursing specialty as a means to improving vascular care especially nowadays, when health care providers dictate comprehensive and cost-effective nursing practice and patient management. It also presents the first attempt to organize a Vascular Nursing Educational Session in Greece.
authors.affiliation: 1Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors.forename: Efstratios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Georgakarakos
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bitza
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papanas
authors.forename: Miltiadis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsagkas
authors.forename: Miltos K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lazarides
mesh_terms: D064646:Cardiovascular Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000592:standards*; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000451:nursing*; D057184:Practice Patterns, Nurses'; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration
keywords: ankle–brachial index; nurse education; patient care; vascular assessment; vascular disease; vascular nursing