Degree Name
Nursing Practice, DNP
Publication Date
11-17-2025
First Advisor
Sandy King
Second Advisor
Veronica Arrendondo
Abstract
Untreated hypertension or hypotension can lead to serious health problems, including death. Proper technique is essential when obtaining a blood pressure reading to improve patient safety. The goal of the quality improvement project was to improve competency in blood pressure technique by implementing standardized training. The initiative addressed discrepancies in blood pressure readings in the intake unit of a behavioral health hospital. Using the Stetler Model of Evidence-Based Practice and John Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model, a single sample, pre-post design was implemented over 4 weeks. The American Heart Association's blood pressure guidelines and the Teach-Back Observation Tool were used in a 1:1 standardized training session with participants. Pre- and post-training observations were conducted on 14 participants, with numerical values assigned to each checklist item. After the Shapiro-Wilk test indicated the data were normally distributed, a two-tailed paired test was performed. The findings were significant in improving competency (pre-M = 3.29, pre-SD = 0.99, post M = 5.64, post SD 0.63, p = <.001). The results indicate a 71.4% improvement in competency. The project demonstrates the importance of standardized, evidence-based training. Future recommendations include extending the training across the hospital campus, medical conferences, and social media to provide a straightforward, easily replicable training on a local, regional, national, and global level.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Buescher, Ashley, "Quality Improvement Project: Improving Competency of Behavioral Health Technicians in Vital Sign Technique" (2025). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 278.
https://arch.astate.edu/dnp-projects/278
