Heart failure nurse liaison passionate about improving patient care

Jennifer Sieben, RN, has a unique role in Calgary’s health care system. As a heart failure nurse liaison, her tasks are varied, ranging from patient education and community support to quality improvement. 

“There is so much variety in this job,” she says. “I love the challenges and learning opportunities.” 

Sieben’s career in cardiac care began in 2003 while she was still a student. She spent five years as an registered nurse caring for heart patients in the intensive cardiac care unit before a 15-year stint as a nurse clinician in the Heart Function Clinic at the Peter Lougheed Centre. 

Today, Sieben splits her time between patient education; community nursing, which involves connecting with outside groups to ensure patients have the resources they need when they leave the hospital; outpatient work; liaising with heart function clinics across Calgary; and quality improvement. 

Sieben finds satisfaction in all her duties, but she particularly loves the challenge and reward of quality improvement work. 

“It’s about looking for ways to improve patient care and make health care processes more efficient,” says Sieben. 

Examples of Sieben’s work in this area include writing protocols and assisting in the development of algorithms used to optimize Connect Care in the city’s heart function clinics. She is also part of an Alberta-wide pilot project involving nurses prescribing medication in heart function clinics. 

“I love the fact that we are looking for new innovations and open to them,” she says. “I enjoy coming up with ways to be more efficient, and it’s exciting that leadership has been so supportive of that.” 

Sieben is passionate about her patients.   

“The relationships you build are often long term and they are very rewarding,” she says. “Seeing patients improve under the care of the amazing teams at the heart function clinics is the highlight of my job.”