Nursing Student Led Blood Pressure Education in a Community Mental Health Setting: A Pre Post Test Study

People living with mental illness have greater cardiovascular risk, more lifestyle risk factors and lower health literacy than the general population. The high prevalence of hypertension among people living with mental illness places them at a significantly higher risk of premature morbidity and mortality. Identifying hypertension and empowering consumers to understand its significance are key to controlling elevated blood pressure. Student nurse led blood pressure education in community mental health settings may improve hypertension awareness while building nursing students' confidence and competence. This study sought to evaluate the impact of a preregistration nursing student led blood pressure education activity on consumer blood pressure knowledge and nursing students' health education competence. A single group pre post test intervention study was undertaken during a community mental health clinical placement (Recovery Camp, New South Wales, Australia). Nursing students delivered a brief blood pressure education activity to consumers living with mental illness. Consumer knowledge was assessed using the Hypertension Evaluation of Lifestyle and Management (HELM) scale, and student competence was assessed using the Nurse Health Education Competence Instrument (I-CEpSE). Twenty-one consumers completed paired assessments. Mean HELM scores increased from 5.0 (SD 2.65) pre activity to 6.9 (SD 2.69) post activity (p < 0.001). Forty-four students completed paired assessments, with I-CEpSE total scores increasing from 210.95 (SD 28.81) to 257.27 (SD 30.22) (p < 0.001). This study has demonstrated that a structured, student led blood pressure education activity embedded within a community mental health placement improved both consumer hypertension knowledge and student reported health education competence.