Assessing the Problem- Leadership Collaboration Communication Change Management and Policy Considerations
Hypertension is a medical condition where the patient has elevated high blood pressure readings above the normal range (Singh et al., 2017). Hypertension is a common healthcare issue in the healthcare delivery industry. If the blood pressure levels are not controlled, they can cause serious complications to individuals. Some healthcare complications related to hypertension include stroke, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and death (Singh et al., 2017). Controlling blood pressure within the normal ranges is critical in reducing cardiovascular complications. Hypertension can be controlled by both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions (Kitt et al., 2019). There are many risk factors associated with hypertension. They include diabetes, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, genetics, excessive alcohol use, and obesity, among others (Singh et al., 2017).
The field of medicine has advanced strategies to ensure that hypertension and its related complications. Despite these strides, hypertension control is still low. Close to 116 million adults in the United States have hypertension, with 45% having uncontrolled hypertension (CDC, 2020). It is one of the leading causes of mortalities in the United States. Many clinical guidelines have shown that pharmacotherapy is critical in reducing morbidity and mortality associated with hypertension (Kitt et al., 2019). However, failure to adhere to antihypertensive treatment can increase the risk of cardiovascular events. It can increase the risk of developing stroke at any point in life, especially for elderly patients (Kitt et al., 2019). It is thus critical to implement strategies and educate the general public on the dangers of hypertension and strategies that can be implemented to prevent and reduce hypertension. This is because the failure of patients to observe and adhere to treatment strategies will lead to poor control of hypertension.
Hypertension is an interesting subject for me as a registered nurse since it is a common healthcare problem. I see most patients get diagnosed with hypertension in my nursing unit. An individual of particular interest to me is Mr. Daniels, a 70-year-old African American who has one wife and two children. This patient has a history of diabetes, obesity, tobacco use, excessive alcoholism, coronary heart disease, and a recent stroke that paralyzed his left side of the body. Apart from pharmacological interventions that were prescribed for this patient, he was also advised on non-pharmacological interventions such as diet and physical activity. Combining these strategies has proven to be effective in controlling hypertension (Kitt et al., 2019). The lifestyle modifications that this patient can implement include alcohol intake reduction, stress reduction, quitting cigarette smoking, weight loss, and exercise.
Peer-Reviewed Literature
Lifestyle modifications have been proven to be very effective tools in controlling hypertension in patients. Lifestyle modifications mean that an individual shift from their traditional behaviors to ensure they meet their therapeutic goals. Common lifestyle modifications that can help patients achieve their therapeutic goals include eating a healthy diet, physical activity, weight loss, stress reduction, smoke cessation, and reduced alcohol intake. A study was conducted by Yang et al. (2017) to determine the effect of lifestyle modifications in hypertension control. The study has 1139 participants who had hypertension. The lifestyle of the study participants includes alcohol use, tobacco smoking, excessive salt consumption, and physical activity. These factors were then evaluated.
The study aimed to identify and evaluate lifestyle changes in patients diagnosed with hypertension. It aimed to assess how lifestyle changes are linked to blood pressure monitoring in patients with hypertension. The study explored medication adherence, physical activity, alcohol consumption, salt intake, weight, and blood pressure readings at the fourth, eighth, and twelfth weeks. At the end of this study, physical activity and reduction of salt consumption were linked to successful blood pressure control. The study opined that dietary modifications that help in blood pressure control include low dietary sodium, low alcohol intake, effective weight loss strategies, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, milk products, legumes, and low-fat content. At the end of eighteen months, the researchers followed up with the study participants, and there was a further reduction of blood pressure readings (Yang et al., 2017).
Magobe et al. (2017) has shown that physical activity is a crucial lifestyle modification in controlling blood pressure readings and improving patients’ quality of life. This study showed that 10-30 minutes of physical activity at least thrice a week is beneficial in controlling blood pressure read