- IMPROVING PUBLIC HEALTH
Nursing student’s project achieves lower blood pressure
As a nurse practitioner in a federally-supported clinic in Joliet, Ill., Margaret Lewandowski had seen her share of African-American patients suffering from high blood pressure.
“In the vast majority of our patients, we not only found the blood pressure problem, but also other health factors such as obesity and dietary issues that played a role in increasing blood pressure,” said Lewandowski.
Lewandowski decided to investigate better methods of treating the problem in her project “Effects of Lifestyle Modification on Blood Pressure and Weight on an Underserved African-American Population,” the final component of study for her doctor of nursing practice degree at Valparaiso University’s College of Nursing.
“I wanted to find ways to better control blood pressure in African-Americans,” said Lewandowski. “After an intensive program involving education, dietary changes and exercise plans for patients, we were able to lower blood pressure by an average of seven points in our study group.”
During the three-month project, Lewandowski worked one-on-one with patients to help them make key lifestyle changes.
“We created guidelines for participants to follow, such as providing them with examples of typical American foods they could eat that would be better choices for their health,” said Lewandowski. “We also provided them with exercises clinically-proven to help lower blood pressure that they could easily fit into their lifestyle, such as walking.”
Lewandowski monitored the patients as they made the lifestyle changes, and observed the study group’s blood pressure decline by an overall average of seven points.
“Although it’s not statistically significant, it is clinically significant because that’s a step in the right direction,” said Lewandowski. “Even small changes in blood pressure are positive steps for this population.”
As a result of the research project, Lewandowski has developed treatment guidelines for her clinic that are being used with patients dealing with high blood pressure. She also plans to monitor those patients to see if the lifestyle changes continue to have long-term health benefits.
In May 2010, Lewandowski joins eight fellow students as the University’s first class of doctor of nursing practice graduates.
“It’s been a lifelong goal of mine to get a DNP degree,” said Lewandowski. “I’ve worked as a nurse practitioner and I teach, and this gives a new level of credibility for what I do.”
