Knowledge of the 2017 American Heart Association Hypertension Guidelines

The primary purpose of this project was to determine the knowledge of nurse practitioners in Mississippi regarding the 2017 American Heart Association Hypertension Guidelines. Following approval by the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the researchers utilized a descriptive, quantitative survey design to evaluate the knowledge of Mississippi nurse practitioners of the 2017 American Heart Association Hypertension Guidelines in regards to diagnosis and management of hypertension. Utilizing social media, the researchers targeted specific Facebook sites for nurse practitioners who practice in the state of Mississippi. Data was gathered through SurveyMonkey using a questionnaire. The data gathered from the completed questionnaires were then subjected to analysis. Data were analyzed to determine if the nurse practitioner was knowledgeable of blood pressure diagnosis and management according to the 2017 American Heart Association Hypertension Guidelines. To be considered knowledgeable in management and/or diagnosing hypertension, the provider had to score 80 percent in each portion of the survey. More than half of the nurse practitioners who participated were considered knowledgeable in managing hypertension according to the 2017 American Heart Association Hypertension Guidelines. Out of the 52 surveyed, 30 nurse practitioners were considered knowledgeable in diagnosing hypertension according to the 2017 American Heart Association Hypertension Guidelines. 28 of the 52 practitioners were considered knowledgeable in managing hypertension using the 2017 American Heart Association Hypertension Guidelines. Based on the results, overall nurse practitioners are knowledgeable of the 2017 American Heart Association Hypertension Guidelines