Introduction
A nursing care plan for patients with hypertension (HTN) should identify health problems related to their HTN. This plan should also provide general interventions, nursing diagnoses, expected outcomes, and evaluative data to support appropriate assessment and patient care.
Assessment
Medical History: Recent laboratory results should be obtained, including serum electrolytes, renal function tests, lipid profile, cardiac enzymes, and glucose.
Physical Assessment: Vital signs and pertinent physical findings should be noted. These may include hypertension, edema, and changes in arterial pulses.
Psychosocial Assessment: The nurse will assess the patient's positive and negative reaction to the diagnosis and any stress that patients may have because of their HTN.
Nursing Diagnosis
Ineffective Coping: Patients with HTN may experience difficulty coping with their diagnosis and managing their disease.
Disturbed Sleep Pattern: Patients may experience difficulty sleeping due to stress, medications, or side effects from the medications.
Risk for injury: Patients may be at a higher risk for injury due to side effects from the medications, such as dizziness or vertigo.
Outcomes
Increased Knowledge About Hypertension: Patients will demonstrate an understanding of HTN management through lifestyle modifications, medications, monitoring, and follow-up measures.
Ability to Express Feelings/Behavioral Changes: Patients will articulate feelings related to managing their HTN, recognize emotional triggers associated with their disorder, and make appropriate lifestyle changes.
Interventions
Education: Educate the patient on causes, effects, and management of HTN.
Medication: Instruct the patient on proper use of prescribed medications, potential adverse reactions, and importance of taking medications as ordered.
Lifestyle Modification: Encourage the patient to make healthy lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise.
Rationales
Education: With increased knowledge, patients can better understand and manage their condition. Education includes information about the causes, effects, and management of HTN.
Medications: Medications are necessary to manage and control HTN. Through patient education, it is important for the patient to understand the importance of taking medications as prescribed, potential side effects, and when to report any changes.
Lifestyle Modification: It is important for the patient to understand that lifestyle habits, such as diet and exercise, can help to reduce or even eliminate the need for medications.
Evaluation
Outcome Criteria: Patients with HTN should demonstrate improved knowledge regarding their disease state, be able to express their feelings, and make necessary lifestyle changes to reduce risk factors associated with their HTN.
Conclusion
A nursing care plan for HTN should take into consideration the patient's medical history, physical assessments, and psychosocial assessments in order to provide individualized patient care.
FAQs
- What is Hypertension (HTN)? Hypertension is a sustained elevation of blood pressure above the normal range.
- What are the causes of HTN? Hypertension can be caused by genetics, lifestyle, certain medications, medical conditions, or unknown causes.
- What lifestyle changes can help with HTN? Eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, reducing stress, exercising regularly, watching sodium intake, and limiting alcohol can all help reduce hypertension.
- What medications are used to treat HTN? Medications commonly used to treat hypertension include diuretics, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and angiotensin receptor blockers.
- Are there any long-term complications with HTN? Yes, if left untreated, hypertension can lead to many serious long-term complications, including heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.
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