Degree Name

Nursing Practice, DNP

Publication Date

8-3-2024

Upload Date

2024

First Advisor

Linda Latting

Abstract

Hypertension (HTN) is currently one of the most common diseases that is underdiagnosed and under-treated in the primary care setting. The identified gap in practice is that medical assistants need to gain knowledge of the current JNC-8 HTN guidelines and, therefore, do not apply the JNC-8 guidelines to patient management. This project aimed to educate medical assistants in a primary care clinic on the Joint National Committee 8 (JNC-8) guidelines to improve their HTN management knowledge over four weeks. The social cognitive theory and Kurt Lewin’s change management theory guided the project. The project adopted a quantitative, quasi-experimental design whereby the medical assistants’ knowledge was evaluated before and after implementing the education module on JNC-8 guidelines. The project was implemented among four medical assistants using the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) model. Data was collected using a Likert-based questionnaire. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings indicated a significant improvement in the medical assistants’ HTN management knowledge post-intervention, as indicated by a mean score of five and a standard deviation of zero, providing reassurance and confidence in the effectiveness of the educational intervention. This significant improvement in knowledge underscores the potential for enhancing the quality of care delivered to HTN patients, leading to better blood pressure control and reduced cardiovascular risk. Further, the project emphasizes the potential for social change by educating medical assistants on HTN management using JNC-8 guidelines to improve patient management and outcomes for treating HTN.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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