Effectiveness of Nursing Standards/or Policies in Improving the Population Outcomes for the Problem

Barriers to the Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice in addressing the Problem

As the adult population with hypertension grows, it becomes more difficult for healthcare professionals to assist their patients with blood pressure control. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), there are five barriers to implementing evidence-based practice in hypertensive patients’ care. First, inaccurate and inconsistent blood pressure measurement techniques may impede hypertension diagnosis and management (AMA, 2018).

It is recommended that at least two blood pressure measurements be taken, with the cuff bladder encircling at least 80% of the arm (CDC, 2022), failure of which may result in incorrect readings and the inability to diagnose hypertension. Second, masked hypertension, which causes patients to appear to have normal blood pressures in the office while having elevated blood pressures outside the office, may contribute to hypertension underdiagnosis.

Third, clinical inertia, blamed on the care team, who may be hesitant to initiate and intensify hypertension treatment, may delay treatment and hasten disease progression (AMA, 2018). Fourth, the care team may lack appropriate evidence-based treatment protocols. Finally, poor patient participation in self-management behaviors may jeopardize blood pressure control.

Nurses play an integral role in the care of hypertensive patients in various ways. Nurses identify, refer, and follow up on hypertensive patients. They use the best blood pressure measurement methods and also lead blood pressure screening and verification initiatives in community settings. Furthermore, they determine whether the readings are normal or in the hypertensive range according to the site protocol and then refer for urgent care (Georgiopoulos et al., 2018).

Nurses also assist in the diagnosis and management of hypertensive patients’ medications. According to Georgiopoulos et al. (2018), nurse-led hypertension management results in higher rates of blood pressure control than standard care. In addition, nurses provide patient education, counseling, and skill development, allowing patients to develop better self-management strategies that aid in blood pressure control.

Furthermore, nurses ensure care coordination—they are skilled at establishing and maintaining both formal and informal collaborative links between providers, resources, and services within and outside their practice settings (Georgiopoulos et al., 2018). Moreover, performance measurement and quality improvement indicators, a task of nurses, allow for the determination of whether or not the interventions provided to patients are effective. Leveraging the tasks nurses perform, effective blood pressure control is achieved, with a reduction in complications and mortality rates.