Evidence-based Nursing Practice for Health Promotion in Adults With Hypertension: A Literature Review

This paper is a report of the results of a literature review conducted with the goal of identifying the nursing process components: assessment, diagnoses, interventions and outcomes related to health promotion in adults with hypertension in primary settings.

A search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PantherCat Online Catalogue of UWM database, PsycInfo, Cochrane Database, and Social Services Abstracts was conducted to retrieve literature published from 1988 to 2006.

A total of 115 articles were reviewed. Overall, 70 relevant studies were selected on health promotion in adults with hypertension in primary settings. A total of 39 nursing process components (nursing diagnoses outcomes and interventions) related to health promotion with adults with high blood pressure were identified in primary healthcare settings.

Research-based evidence material provides an evidence-based nursing practice guideline with specific nursing process components on the topic. The evidence-based nursing practice guideline developed from this referential study for promoting health of adults with hypertension should be reflected in nursing practice in primary healthcare settings. For a future study, focus groups and key informant interview are recommended with nurses who actually provide nursing services in primary healthcare settings to clients who are diagnosed with high blood pressure.