Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Barbara Gross

Abstract

Hypertension is a national medical problem that has been predominantly seen amongst African Americans. Within this community, hypertension has been associated with obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and poor nutrition. It is for this reason that lifestyle modifications can be used as applied tools in the field of nursing in the prevention and management of hypertension among African American patients. This doctoral project was conducted to address the gap in nursing practice that currently exists for the African American population with regards to hypertension. The project focused on a nursing staff education program with 10 participants to promote the implementation of early hypertension screening and culturally appropriate lifestyle modifications for hypertension management. Based on the transtheoretical model, the project’s educational program utilized concepts of behavioral change such as lifestyle and dietary modifications. Sources of evidence included journal articles, research reports, and clinical guidelines. The staff education program involved educational modules and questionnaires. The findings of the project revealed most of the participants (n = 8 or 80%) lacked knowledge on hypertension recognition, complications, and the nurse’s role in promoting patient lifestyle changes. Following the project, results revealed all participants acquired knowledge (N = 10 or 100%) and positive implications through the staff implementation of early hypertension protocols, such as screening questions and lifestyle teaching sheets. The project overall emphasized potential implications for positive social change by promoting ethically appropriate treatment for African Americans. Additionally, recommendations were made for continued staff education on assessment training.

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