NURS-FPX4900 Assessment 1 Assessing the Problem: Leadership, Collaboration, Communication, Change Management, and Policy Considerations

Studies indicate that hypertension puts patients at a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The mortality rate for hypertension remains high, and the condition remains undertreated, under detected, and uncontrolled. Team-based care is coordinated care which involves various healthcare providers working together collaboratively to help patients manage Hypertension (Linthicum et al., 2021). Team-based care has received attention since it allows patients to access high-quality care from various healthcare providers.

Hospitals that lack proper communication and collaboration among the healthcare provider also experience higher rates of readmission and increased hospital stays among patients. This paper will assess a patient with hypertension from a leadership, communication, collaboration, change management, and policy perspective.

Patient Health Problem and Relevance to Nursing Practice

In this assessment, we will consider the case of Tina Jones, a 38-year-old African American with no history of substance abuse but admits to turning to food as a way of coping with stress and anxiety. She states that she lives in the ‘hood’ and is constantly worrying about the safety of her husband and her son. She is also 30lbs past her recommended BMI. She has issues sticking to a healthy diet because she frequently visits her parents (3-4 times a week) and her father enjoys spoiling her with barbecues and other fried foods.

She does not find eating vegetables appealing and generally avoids them. Her mother has a history of diabetes and high blood pressure, while her father was recently diagnosed with hyperlipidemia. Her father, unlike her, maintains a highly active lifestyle and exercises four days a week. The combination of the poor lifestyle choices and the high blood pressure issue increase Mrs. Jones’ adverse outcomes.

This issue is a significant problem for the patient because it increases her risk of developing cardiovascular conditions. Her poor lifestyle choices also increase her chances of developing diabetes, among other lifestyle-related diseases. Carey et al. (2018) indicate that African Americans are twice more likely to develop hypertension than other populations.

Blacks have a higher incidence of hypertension-related cardiovascular disease and end-stage renal failure than other populations in the United States. The CDC suggests that a heightened response is necessary due to the disparities in high blood pressure control in African American individuals (Wei et al., 2021). Poor management of hypertension causes patients to develop treatment-resistant hypertension.

Carthon et al. (2019) indicate that African Americans are more sensitive to salt than other patient populations. They also respond differently to high blood pressure medication than other patient groups. As a baccalaureate-prepared nurse, this information is essential because it indicates that while hypertension is mainly a lifestyle-related condition, certain populations are more prone to developing the problem than others (Linthicum et al., 2021).

Therefore, it is vital to constantly advise and educate African American patients about their risk of developing the condition and salt sensitivity. It also demonstrates that specific treatment should be considered for this patient population.