Effect of an educational plan on the self-care management capacity of hypertensive patients at a second-tier institution

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of an educational plan on the capacity of hypertensive patients at a second-tier institution to manage self-care. Materials and methods: A pre -and post-intervention test was conducted with the participation of 83 patients who had been diagnosed with hypertension. An instrument entitled "Assessment of Self-care Management Capacity among Hypertensive Patients" was applied to this group at the beginning of the study and three months after implementation of the educational plan. Results: The educational plan improved self-care management capacity overall and in the different ranges, showing a statistical significance with a probability value under 0.002 and 0.0001, respectively. Conclusions: Structured educational interventions based on identified individual needs, coupled with individual empowerment and monitoring done by nursing professionals, made it possible to achieve permanent behavior with respect to self-care, facilitating self-knowledge and changes in behavior patterns, in addition to the acquisition of skills and know-how.