Typical Problems
The number of typical problems connected to hypertension is rather extensive. The most prevalent are decreased cardiac output, imbalanced nutrition, and deficient knowledge (Han, Lee, Commodore-Mensah, & Kim, 2014). The nurse should deal with these issues in a timely manner in order to prevent probable complications.
Decreased cardiac output is signified by an insufficient amount of blood driven to the heart. This also means that the metabolic requirements of the patient’s body are not satisfied. The issue of decreased cardiac output might also be the reason for future ventricular hypertrophy or myocardial ischemia (Han et al., 2014). The nurse should be able to maintain the patient’s blood pressure within exclusively acceptable limits. The nurse should also observe the patient’s skin color and provide comfort measures. At the same time, the patient should not be involved in stressful situations.
The issue of imbalanced nutrition is connected to disproportionate intake in terms of metabolic needs. The nurse should observe the patient in order to identify issues with the eating patterns (if there are any). The key problem with imbalanced nutrition is the patient’s deskbound activity level (Han et al., 2014). First, the nurse expects to find a positive relationship between obesity and hypertension. The interventions are designed to possibly transform the patient’s body by changing the metabolic pattern (probable outcome – loss of weight). It is also important to elaborate on an individual exercise program that is necessary to change the patient’s lifestyle.
The problem of deficient knowledge is one of the most commonly met in hypertension patients. For the most part, the patients are not literate enough, meaning that they do not possess any knowledge concerning their own illness. The nurse should be able to help the patient to interpret the information correctly and accept the diagnosis (Han et al., 2014). The latter is one of the most important constituents of a successful treatment plan. The nurse should avoid misconceptions and limit the manifestation of exaggerated behaviors. In conclusion, the nurse should be able to clearly state the objectives of the treatment and the expected outcomes.
Medical History Indicators
There is a number of aspects contained within the health history of a patient with hypertension that would be essential in understanding a patient’s current health state and work-up completed to date. First, the nurse should pay attention to the previous cases of transient loss of consciousness (Scord & Pickett, 2015). This health issue is inextricably connected to hypertension and maybe both a premise and consequence of high blood pressure. One should also proceed with caution before prescribing strong medications. Medication abuse or wrong choice of medicine might trigger migraines (Scord & Pickett, 2015).
Another issue that should be emphasized when going through the health history of a patient with hypertension is the presence of previous concussions (Scord & Pickett, 2015). This supposition is based on the fact that people who survived a concussion tend to have higher blood pressure than those who never got one. An injured brain is proved to be volatile to the increase in any individual’s heart rate and higher blood pressure (Scord & Pickett, 2015).
The most prevalent issue in hypertension patients is obesity. Overweight creates numerous complications for both the nurse and the patient (Scord & Pickett, 2015). First, there is a necessity to check the patient’s weight as often as possible. Second, the increase of the heart strains is inevitable. When combined, these peculiarities have a major impact on the patient’s cardiac output (Scord & Pickett, 2015). Obesity might even be treated separately due to the necessity of consulting with a professional dietician.
References
Han, H., Lee, H., Commodore-Mensah, Y., & Kim, M. (2014). Development and validation of the hypertension self-care profile. The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 29(3), 11-20. Web.
Scordo, K., & Pickett, K. (2015). Managing hypertension. Nursing, 45(1), 28-33. Web.