Staff Education: Hypertension Management for Adults in Primary Care Settings

Management of hypertension and its complications requires health care providers to understand the reason for developing the disease. Complications of hypertension (HTN) are more prevalent when patient interventions are not consistently performed by staff. A gap in staff knowledge regarding the management of patients with HTN was noted at an outpatient clinic in the southwestern United States. A staff education project based on the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC-8) guidelines for HTN management was developed to address the gap in knowledge. This DNP project sought to understand the impact of an evidence-based staff education program in improving the knowledge of nursing staff on HTN management. The health belief model and social cognitive theory guided the project. Three expert panelists evaluated the education program content and agreed that the content was relevant to clinical practice and would improve staff knowledge regarding management of HTN. Eight nurses participated in the education program, first completing a pretest questionnaire followed by educational program content in digital format. Participants reviewed the program for 1 week followed by a PowerPoint presentation at a staff meeting. Posttest questionnaires were completed by 7 participants using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from completely unaware to completely aware. Posttest results indicated that nursing staff knowledge increased to completely aware (100%) of the JNC-8 guidelines for HTN management compared with completely unaware before the program. The project emphasizes the potential for positive social change when translating evidence to practice through staff education to improve patient management and outcomes for the treatment of HTN