Cardiac diseases remain globally the primary cause of death among men and women. In Mauritius, according to Health Statistics Report 2019 (HSR,2019), Heart diseases were the second cause of mortality after Diabetes Mellitus. Many cardiac patients are treated at Cardiac Centre at the various Regional Hospitals and Cardiac Centre throughout the island. The nurses have been an integral part of the care teams in the care, treatment and rehabilitation of this category of patients. As the science of cardiac care nursing emerged, expectations of care increased among the public, patients, and healthcare professionals.

The challenge is exacerbated by limitations in nurse in terms of cardiac nurses and intensive care nurses shortages and healthcare resources. With the recent Covid-19 pandemic which keep on mutating into new variants, we need to train large mass of nurses who can handle a cardiac monitor, monitoring of patients with invasive lines, can manipulate the basics of a ventilator and do specialised procedures in a cardiac intensive care unit. This context provides an abundance of opportunities for cardiac nurses to contribute to the prevention and management of CVD both medically and surgically.

Excellence in cardiac nursing requires advanced knowledge and skills. This diploma has been developed to enhance the ability of nurses to utilize evidence-based clinical judgment, to promote the dissemination of research findings, and to develop essential knowledge and skills.