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Essay 3

Institution Affiliation

Date
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Essay 3

Healthcare Policy and Regulations – Healthcare Priority Issue

Healthcare Objective

The selected health priority addresses “Increase the proportion of adults with

hypertension whose blood pressure is under control” (HDS-03)” (HDS-03) from Healthy People

2030. High blood pressure, known as hypertension, exists in almost 50% of U.S. adults, putting

them at high risk for heart disease, stroke, and kidney diseases (Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention [CDC], 2023). This objective includes adults of at least age 18 but specifically targets

the populations which include African Americans and older people alongside those who lack

healthcare resources. Hospitalizations from preventable conditions and mortality rates become

major concerns because this issue is common across the population. This project focuses on the

evaluation of nursing practices that enhance blood pressure control for hypertensive adults to

understand the value of quality improvement and professional nursing values in achieving better

results.

Rationale and Importance to Nursing

Hypertension remains commonly known as a silent killer because patients experience no

major symptoms until its complications advance. Nurses fulfill a critical position in health care

through their chronic disease management role and their efforts in patient education and

prevention practices, which motivate the selection of this objective. During patient care delivery,

nurses conduct tests to detect common medical issues while instructing individuals about disease

management procedures and encouraging patients to follow their treatment protocols.

Uncontrolled hypertension presents significant importance in nursing practice because it causes

numerous patients to require emergency department care and experience long-term disability and
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hospital readmissions (Benjamin et al., 2019). This medical problem aligns directly with nursing

practice because patient care receives a holistic approach tailored to individual needs for both

health promotion and disease prevention.

Nursing Interventions and Outcomes

The two evidence-based nursing interventions that help adult hypertensive patients

achieve better healthcare results are home blood pressure monitoring and nurse-led counseling

and culturally tailored lifestyle education programs. Home blood pressure monitoring and nurse-

led counseling can be effective in controlling hypertension. Research by Kerry et al. (2013)

showed that equipping patients with home blood pressure monitors and nurse telephonic

counseling delivered results in superior blood pressure management numbers. The nurses

educated patients about correct self-monitoring procedures while they monitored patients

through regular follow-up visits to modify treatment along with lifestyle change implementation.

The inclusion of this treatment approach resulted in superior blood pressure lowering effects

compared to standard care practices.

Another study conducted by Erskine (2020) examined how culturally adjusted

educational programs influenced blood pressure understanding and life behavior patterns among

African immigrants. The educational program that used culturally appropriate material produced

substantial improvements in blood pressure knowledge, better dietary behaviors and physical

exercise routines among participants, and stronger medicine adherence. Cultural programs

integrated beliefs and dietary and language needs to create content that was culturally relevant

for participants' needs. Staff who participated in culturally adapted educational programs showed

enhanced self-management participation, which led to better blood pressure results. Erskine’s
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research shows that culture-specific approaches deliver more effective hypertension treatment to

various populations, thus minimizing health inequalities.

Quality Improvement Initiative and Patient Care

Based on the interventions above, I would suggest implementing the Hypertension Self-

Management Support Program in healthcare facilities. The Quality Initiative embeds three major

elements, including home blood pressure monitoring kits, nurse-led counseling calls, and

culturally appropriate education workshops (KUrt, & Gurdogan, 2022). The initiative goals will

center on raising blood pressure control rates, improving patient engagement, and minimizing

preventable hospital admissions. Through this QI, patients would gain skills on self-management

of their condition and address health inequality, leading to better guideline compliance and long-

term cardiovascular health results.

Nursing, Quality, and Outcomes

The nurses need to be involved in the quality initiatives since they have direct and

sustained contact with the patients and understand the needs, barriers, and responses to care.

Their participation guarantees that quality initiatives are practiced, patient-centered, and

evidence-based (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2021).

The possession of nursing values plays a key role in improving patient care, and these

values include advocacy and accountability. On the advocacy, the nurse needs to take an active

role in advocating for the patients’ health needs and access to resources such as blood pressure

monitors or culturally relevant materials, hence ensuring the quality they receive is equitable and

effective. Secondly, the nurses need to be accountable for providing safe, evidence-based care

and continuously improving patient outcomes through undertaking QI projects, promoting the

delivery of high-quality care.

Conclusion

Countries are putting efforts into increasing blood pressure control rates due to its

contributions to preventable diseases and hospitalizations. Amongst adults, their primary

objective is to prevent illnesses and hospital admissions. Home monitoring and educational

sessions that meet the cultural needs of patients have demonstrated their effectiveness in

improving clinical results. The establishment of a Quality Initiative platform for hypertension

self-management support will boost patient care quality and achieve better equity in healthcare.

The dedication of nurses to quality initiatives based on their advocacy and accountability leads to

delivering care that remains focused on patients while being both evidence-based and outcome-

focused.
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References

American Nurses Association (ANA). (2021). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice (4th

ed.). ANA.

Benjamin, E. J., Muntner, P., Alonso, A., Bittencourt, M. S., Callaway, C. W., Carson, A. P., ...

& Virani, S. S. (2019). Heart disease and stroke statistics—2019 update: A report from

the American Heart Association. Circulation, 139(10), e56-e528.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2023). High blood pressure facts.
https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/facts.htm
Erskine, S. (2020). The Impact of Culturally-tailored Education on Knowledge and Behavior

Related to Screening and Lifestyle Management of Blood Pressure in African

Immigrants (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nevada, Las Vegas).

Kerry, S. M., Markus, H. S., Khong, T. K., Cloud, G. C., Tulloch, J., Coster, D., ... & Oakeshott,

P. (2013). Home blood pressure monitoring with nurse-led telephone support among

patients with hypertension and a history of stroke: a community-based randomized

controlled trial. Cmaj, 185(1), 23-31.

KUrt, D. U. Y. G. U., & Gurdogan, E. P. (2022). The effect of self-management support on

knowledge level, treatment compliance and selfcare management in patients with

hypertension. TheAustralian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 39(3), 14-23.