title: Are nurses sufficiently well prepared to take on the detection of hypertension?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The detection of arterial hypertension requires training and knowledge by the responsible health professional. The current guidelines recommend doctors and nurses to work together for the screening of hypertension.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the level of knowledge among primary healthcare nurses' in the screening of arterial hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive, observational and transversal study. A random representative sample of 165 nurses working with adult patients in community-based primary healthcare centres were asked to complete an evaluation test of theoretical knowledge about hypertension. Higher scores indicated a greater knowledge about the detection of hypertension.
  
  
  RESULTS
  32.1% of the participants obtained a score equal to or more than 72.7 which corresponded to the 75th percentile of correct answers. Nurses with lower scores were older, permanent employees with technical training studies. A higher age and technical training studies contributed independently to a lower score. In the multiple linear regression model, age and type of studies contributed independently to questionnaire's score variance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Currently, primary care nurses in the studied region do not have sufficient theoretical knowledge to detect hypertension. The results show the need to establish strategies to achieve the necessary knowledge for the implementation of a correct hypertension screening. For professional nurses, continuing education is essential to safe and effective nursing care.
authors.affiliation: Institut Català de la Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain. Electronic address: mserrat.girona.ics@gencat.cat.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serrat-Costa
authors.affiliation: Nursing Department, Universidad de Girona, Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baltasar Bagué
authors.affiliation: Residéncia geriátrica Gent Gran Palafrugell, Ayuntamiento de Palafrugell, Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Machado Velasco
authors.affiliation: Nursing Department, Universidad de Girona, Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Juvinyà Canal
authors.affiliation: Nursing Department, Universidad de Girona, Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bertran Noguer
authors.affiliation: Institut Català de la Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ricart
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses
keywords: Atención primaria; Conocimientos del personal de enfermería; Hipertensión; Hypertension; Nurse knowledge; Primary care