Assistant Professor
Strategic program(s):
Biography
Dr. Heleen Westland is assistant professor at the Julius Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands. She worked as a registered nurse and senior registered nurse (2001–2008) and as a clinical nurse leader (2008–2012) in the cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery department. She obtained her Master of Science degrees in Nursing Science (2009, cum laude) and Clinical Epidemiology (2018) from Utrecht University. In 2019, she obtained her PhD from Utrecht University, focusing on nurses’ support for self-management among patients with chronic conditions.
Following her PhD, she continued her academic career as an assistant professor, focusing on understanding and optimizing self-management among patients with chronic conditions. Her research aims to improve personalized self-management support, strengthen patients’ ability to manage their condition in daily life, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.
Her research primarily focuses on patients with heart failure, but also extends to other cardiovascular and chronic conditions. She investigates how to optimize personalized self-management support, including digital support, to help patients monitor and manage their symptoms. Her research also focuses on how interventions to support patients’ self-management can be tailored to patients’ individual needs and circumstances, taking into account the diversity of patient populations, including people with limited health literacy and those with a migration background. In addition, she co-leads a research project aimed at strengthening network care between hospitals, general practitioners, district nursing servies, and other healthcare professionals to improve care and outcomes for frail older adults with heart failure following hospital discharge.
Her research is supported by grants from the Dutch Heart Foundation, including a Dekker grant (2023), and the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/heleen-westland-7561b310/
Keywords: General Practice & Nursing Science, self-care, self-management, cardiovascular health, heart failure
Trefwoorden: Huisartsgeneeskunde & Verplegingswetenschap, zelfzorg, zelfmanagement, cardiovasculaire gezondheid, hartfalen
Research aim
We aim to reduce the impact of cardiac disease on the lives of patients, their caregivers and on society. We focus on increasing the ability of patients to maintain their self-care, to monitor their symptoms and take appropriate action.
Go to groupResearch aim
Our mission is to innovate and improve nursing care. Our solutions help patients optimize their health, independence and well-being across care settings.
Go to groupBestuurslid - Bestuur - NVHVV
Editorial Board member - Reviewen van aangeboden manuscripten op geschiktheid voor publicatie in het journal, board meetings - European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing
