Date of Award

Fall 2022

Project Type

Thesis

College or School

CHHS

Department

Nursing

Program or Major

Direct Entry Master's in Nursing

Degree Name

Master of Science

First Advisor

Pamela Kallmerten

Abstract

To combat uncontrolled hypertension, a quality improvement project was designed that aimed to increase patient recorded self-care measures such as maintenance, management, and monitoring. By increasing both education and supplying volunteers with a free electronic home blood pressure monitor (HBPM) it was predicted that positive changed behaviors surrounding self-care would occur and subsequently, a reduction in average blood pressure. To examine this, results from Dickson’s Self-Care of High Blood Pressure Inventory (SC-HI V3) and blood pressure measurements were recorded and analyzed for average trends. Results from the improvement proved effective as self-care values well surpassed the 10% goal that was originally placed. Additionally, average systolic changes decreased 11.6% while average diastolic decreased 8.9%. Average ending pressures noted reductions of 16 mm Hg systolic and a 7 mm Hg diastolic. The results of this quality improvement project support further work in chronic illness management, in respect to patient self-care and education. Additionally, providing patients with the tools necessary to monitor their health suggests an increase in a patient’s own advocacy skills. With more cases of chronic illnesses becoming prevalent, it is up to healthcare and especially the clinical nurse leader (CNL) to increase basic education and access to monitoring tools to reduce the risk for serious health concerns and improve quality of life.

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