Define a patient, family, or population health problem, and realistic goals, that are relevant to personal practice.

 

Hypertension is the clinical name for high blood pressure. This condition is a very prevalent patient issue within the healthcare industry NURSFPX 4900 ASSESSMENT Problem Identification Template. Uncontrolled hypertension can lead to severe health complications. It also increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart failure and death. It is vital to keep blood pressure under to control to reduce the risk of these conditions.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defends that approximately one in four adults with hypertension have it under control and that nearly half of the adults that have hypertension either are not prescribed medication, or they do not take their medication (2020).  NURSFPX 4900 ASSESSMENT Problem Identification Template

It is estimated that every one out of two adults in the United States has hypertension (CDC, 2020). My mother, Mrs. J.M. is one of those adults struggling with hypertension. She is a 66-year-old Italian American woman. She is a former smoker, with a history of diabetes, colon cancer, obesity and hypothyroidism.

Her father who was deceased at the age of 78 suffered from hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Her mother who is still living at the age of 89 currently suffers with hypertension and has a history of stroke NURSFPX 4900 ASSESSMENT Problem Identification Template. Her family history and comorbidities put her at a higher risk for other health related complications if left uncontrolled.

Not all individuals with hypertension require medication. One goal offered for patients with hypertension is lifestyle modification and weight loss. These two when combined have been proven to decrease  blood pressure. Lifestyle modifications include; weight loss, exercise, eating a healthy diet, smoking cessation, and stress reduction.

In the case of Mrs. J.M. she has admitted that she needs to lose weight, she does not exercise, and her eating habits are not ideal. Given her family history and comorbidities it is important to implement a lifestyle modification plan for her NURSFPX 4900 ASSESSMENT Problem Identification Template.

This health problem is relevant to my practice because I am an ICU nurse. The majority of my patients come to the ICU with a diagnosis of hypertensive crisis or stroke due to uncontrolled hypertension.

Many of my patients have suffered multiple strokes with significant damage due to this problem. Pharmacist intervention can have a substantial impact on knowledge, blood pressure control and medication adherence for hypertensive patients (Saleem et al., 2015).

While medication might be the only option for some patients to control their blood pressure, as a nurse it is my duty to seek the least invasive option for my patients NURSFPX 4900 ASSESSMENT Problem Identification Template.

Analyze evidence from the literature and professional sources to support decisions related to defining and guiding nursing actions related to a health problem.

Lifestyle modification is an evidence-based strategy designed to eliminate and/or control hypertension. To support this strategy peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles written within the past five years were utilized. This allows for the most up-to-date available evidence-based information.

When using websites to find evidence-based research credible sources are NIH, .gov websites, .org websites, Mayo Clinic and hospital policies. However, blogs, Wikipedia and .com websites are not credible sources of information. Lifestyle modifications include weight loss, exercise, eating a healthy diet, smoking cessation, and stress reduction.

In an article written by Yang et al., a study of 1139 adults with hypertension complying with lifestyle modification was conducted. Patients were assessed on their lifestyle, including smoking, alcohol use, salt intake, and physical activity NURSFPX 4900 ASSESSMENT Problem Identification Template. The purpose of this study was to identify and evaluate life-style modifications associated with blood pressure control in patients diagnosed with hypertension.

The participants checked in at weeks 4, 8, and 12 and discussed drug adherence, weight, physical activity, alcohol and salt consumption, and blood pressure readings. At the conclusion of the study 961 participants (84%) were in the success group. It was discovered that reduced salt intake and increased physical activity were attributed to successful blood pressure control, and increased BMI was associated with uncontrolled blood pressure

The article stated that dietary modifications which are beneficial in reducing hypertension include low sodium intake, alcohol in moderation, weight loss, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, low-fat dairy products, and low saturated fat. The researchers also followed up with the participants after 18 months and

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