Date of Conferral
8-17-2026
Date of Award
August 2026
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Donna Bailey
Abstract
This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was a staff education and quality improvement initiative designed to improve blood pressure (BP) reassessment and referral compliance among adult patients presenting with elevated BP readings in an urgent care setting. Elevated blood pressure is frequently identified during urgent care visits; however, provider responses and follow-up recommendations are often inconsistent, creating missed opportunities for early identification and intervention. The practice-focused question guiding this project was: In adult patients presenting to urgent care settings, how does implementing a standardized nurse-led hypertension screening and referral protocol, compared with usual care, affect the identification and follow-up of elevated blood pressure over a defined care episode? The purpose of this project was to improve consistency in BP reassessment, documentation, and referral practices through staff education, implementation of a standardized workflow, and reinforcement of evidence-based hypertension management recommendations. Results demonstrated improvements in BP reassessment and referral compliance following implementation of the intervention. Findings support the use of standardized workflows and staff education to improve hypertension screening processes in urgent care settings. The project has implications for improving patient outcomes through earlier identification of hypertension and timely referral for follow-up care.
Recommended Citation
Kluttz, Carolyn Denise, "Staff Education to Improve Blood Pressure Reassessment and Referral Practices in an Urgent Care Setting" (2026). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 20556.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/20556
