Responses to Other Students: Respond to at least 1 of your fellow classmates with at least a 250-word reply about their Primary Task Response regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. To help you with your discussion, please consider the following questions:
- What did you learn from your classmate’s posting?
- What additional questions do you have after reading the posting?
- What clarification do you need regarding the posting?
- What differences or similarities do you see between your posting and other classmates’ postings?
All sources should be cited using APA format. Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and format should be correct and professional.
PLEASE READ POST
In nursing practice, the questions we ask often reflect the real gaps we see at bedside. My PICOT question focuses on improving outcomes for adult patients with uncontrolled hypertension discharged from the emergency department, specifically examining whether a nurse-led discharge education program with follow-up phone calls can improve blood pressure control and reduce 30-day return visits.
PICOT: In adult patients with uncontrolled hypertension treated in the emergency department (P), how does implementation of a nurse-led discharge education program with scheduled follow-up phone calls (I) compared with standard discharge instructions (C) affect blood pressure control and 30-day return ED visits (O) over three months (T)?
This question really shows why we cant rely on just one type of research to solve a clinical problem. In real life, especially in the ED, patient care is rarely simple. Evidence-based practice isnt built on one study or one method, its built on layers of evidence that look at whether something works, how patients experience it, whether its realistic to implement, and if it can actually last over time.
If I were evaluating my nurse-led discharge education intervention, quantitative research would be critical. Studies like randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-experimental designs would allow us to directly compare patients who receive structured education and follow-up calls with those who receive standard discharge instructions. We could measure concrete outcomes like systolic and diastolic blood pressure changes and 30-day ED revisit rates. Since blood pressure is objective and measurable, numbers matter here. Quantitative research gives us statistical clarity, it tells us if the intervention truly makes a measurable difference. I selected quantitative designs because my primary outcomes are measurable clinical indicators, while qualitative approaches are necessary to understand behavioral and contextual barriers that influence those outcomes.
Stronger evidence, such as systematic reviews and meta-analyses adds even more confidence. When multiple studies show similar results, we can feel more secure that nurse-led interventions improve blood pressure control across different settings, not just in one hospital or one population (Ito & Tajika, 2024).
At the same time, numbers dont tell the whole story. Many of the patients I care for struggle with barriers that statistics alone cant capture, low health literacy, medication costs, transportation issues, demanding work schedules, or simply not understanding how serious asymptomatic hypertension really is. Thats where qualitative research becomes so valuable. Through interviews or follow-up conversations, patients can share what actually makes it hard to manage their blood pressure. Using frameworks like the Health Belief Model helps us understand how beliefs about risk, severity, benefits, and barriers shape behavior, it reinforces how powerful those perceptions are in influencing health decisions (Glick & Winham, 2024).
Having multiple types of research strengthens evidence-based practice because it blends scientific rigor with real human experience. Quantitative research answers, Does this intervention lower blood pressure? Qualitative research asks, Why are patients struggling or succeeding? Mixed-methods research ties both together. Using a variety of research designs allows nurses to implement interventions that are not just statistically effective, but truly patient-centered. For uncontrolled hypertension, a condition that is often silent but dangerous, combining outcome data with patient insight ensures that discharge education and follow-up programs are practical, meaningful, and capable of reducing preventable return visits.
References
Ito, M., Tajika, A., Toyomoto, R., Imai, H., Sakata, M., Honda, Y., Furukawa, T. A. (2024). The short and long-term efficacy of nurse-led interventions for improving blood pressure control in people with hypertension in primary care settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Primary Care, 25, 143.
Glick, A. A., Winham, D. M., Heer, M. M., Shelley II, M. C., & Hutchins, A. M. (2024). Health Belief Model predicts likelihood of eating nutrient-rich foods among U.S. adults. Nutrients, 16(14), 2335.
Requirements: 350 WORDS

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