NR565 Week 3 Assignment
Hypertension & Lipid Treatment Protocol
The purpose of this assignment is to develop a standardized procedure or protocol that is applicable to the nurse practitioner role. This assignment will allow for discovery into protocol development as well as establishing a standardized treatment plan for a given diagnosis according to current evidence. This assignment supports the professional formation of the FNP, AGACNP, AGACNP, and PMHNP practice role. Course Outcomes This assignment enables the student to meet the following course outcomes:
CO1: Identify the most commonly prescribed agents in the major drug classes.
CO2: Make appropriate evidence-based therapeutic treatment decisions for individual patients utilizing drugs from the major drug classes.
CO3: Apply knowledge of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacogenomics in prescribing patient treatment.
CO4: Distinguish internal and external environment factors affecting drug action, reaction, efficacy, and interaction.
CO5: Identify client indicators of therapeutic, ineffective, adverse responses and side effects to drug therapy.
Preparing the Assignment Follow these guidelines when completing each component of the assignment.
Contact your course faculty if you have questions. Complete the outline template Links to an external site. provided for the sections highlighted in yellow and the “click to enter text here” is indicated. Provide references for your protocol at the bottom of the form where indicated. References should come from the following sources: Clinical Practice Guidelines Dyslipidemia (Links to an external site) Course Textbook
—>
Hypertension & Lipid Treatment Protocol
I. Introduction
Hypertension and dyslipidemia are two common conditions that are often managed together in primary care.
This protocol aims to provide a standardized approach to the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension and dyslipidemia in the nurse practitioner (NP) role.
II. Diagnosis
Blood pressure measurement: NPs should measure blood pressure according to current guidelines, with a goal of <140/90 mmHg for most patients.
Lipid profile: NPs should order a lipid panel and calculate the patient’s 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease using the Framingham Risk Score or similar tool.
III. Treatment
Lifestyle modification: NPs should encourage all patients to make lifestyle changes to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, including a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, regular exercise, and weight management.
Medications:
Hypertension: NPs should start with a thiazide diuretic as first-line therapy for hypertension. If the patient is not at goal blood pressure, additional medications such as ACE inhibitors, ARBs, beta-blockers, or calcium channel blockers may be added.
Dyslipidemia: NPs should start with a statin as first-line therapy for dyslipidemia. If the patient is not at goal LDL-C, additional medications such as ezetimibe or bile acid sequestrants may be added.
IV. Monitoring
Blood pressure: NPs should monitor blood pressure at every visit and adjust medications as needed to achieve goal blood pressure.
Lipid profile: NPs should monitor lipid profile every 6-12 months and adjust medications as needed to achieve goal LDL-C.
V. Conclusion
This protocol provides a standardized approach to the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension and dyslipidemia in the NP role. It is important for NPs to stay up-to-date with current guidelines and best practices in order to provide safe and effective care for their patients.
References:
American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. (2018). 2018 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA guideline for the management of hypertension in adults: Executive summary. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 72(11), e127-e248.
National Lipid Association. (2019). Clinical practice guidelines for the management of dyslipidemia and prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Journal of Clinical Lipidology, 13(1), 2-9.
Smith, S. C., Benjamin, E. J., Bonow, R. O., Braun, L. T., Creager, M. A., Franklin, B. A., … & Whelton, P. K. (2016). AHA/ACC guideline on the management of patients with valvular heart disease
