Date of Award
Spring 2026
Document Type
Project – Full Written
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Committee Chair
Erin Montgomery
Abstract
Hypertension affects approximately 70% of adults aged 65 years and older and remains a leading contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the United States, highlighting the need for effective community-based hypertension management interventions. Despite the availability of evidence-based guidelines, gaps in education and self-management persist among older adults. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project, Senior Heart Health: Facilitating Hypertension Management, was designed to improve hypertension-related knowledge among adults aged 55 years and older through a structured, community-based health coaching intervention.
The project was implemented in a rural community and consisted of four weekly educational sessions delivered in a church setting. The content focused on blood pressure self-monitoring, hypertension risk factors, lifestyle modifications (including the DASH diet, physical activity, and stress management), and medication adherence. Outcomes were measured using a 20-item pre- and post-intervention questionnaire assessing participants’ knowledge of hypertension prevention and management.
Nine participants completed the pre-test (mean score = 69%), and seven completed the post-test (mean score = 74%), reflecting a 5-percentage-point increase. Median scores improved from 70 to 75. While overall quantitative improvements were modest, qualitative findings showed significant improvements, indicating increased participant engagement and self-reported behavior changes, including dietary modifications and increased home blood pressure monitoring.
This project demonstrates that community-based health coaching interventions are feasible and may support improvements in knowledge and behaviors related to hypertension management among older adults. Future implementations should incorporate strategies to improve attendance and additional measures of self-efficacy and skill competency to strengthen outcome evaluation.
Recommended Citation
Lupo, Heather Hodgens, "Senior Heart Health Facilitating Hypertension Management" (2026). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 171.
https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/nursing-dnp/171
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License