Impact of Advanced Practice Nurses on Blood Pressure Control in Hypertension Management: A Scoping Review

Background: Hypertension is a major public health problem, with serious consequences in terms of morbidity and mortality. Its high prevalence makes it the leading chronic pathology in the world. Since the 1960s, advanced practice nurses have gradually emerged worldwide. With their wide range of skills, they play an increasingly important role in the management of hypertension. This scoping review aimed to map the literature about the impact of an advanced practice nurse intervention on blood pressure control in hypertension management and to identify research gaps. Methods: A scoping review was carried out using Pubmed, CINHAL, Cairn, Embase, Cochrane and Google scholar databases. The major inclusion criterion was advanced practice nurse interventions including the ability to prescribe antihypertensive treatment (renewal +/- initiation). Results: A total of 8 studies were included according to our eligibility criteria. All agreed on the significant benefits of an advanced practice nurse intervention on blood pressure control in hypertension management versus usual care or physician care only. The lack of literature and the poor quality of available data were deplored. Conclusion: All references supported the hypothesis that advanced practice nurses can be a considerable lever to optimize blood pressure control in the overall hypertension management. Nevertheless, research of good methodological quality remains needed to draw any conclusion.