goal. Bottom Line Lowering your blood pressure can save your life. Changes to lower your blood pressure are not always easy, but they are achievable. Work with your care team to develop a treatment plan that is right for you. Information provided for educational purposes only. Please consult your health care provider about your specific health needs. @CardioSmart Facebook.com/CardioSmart If you would like to download or order additional posters on various topics, visit CardioSmart.org/Posters Go to CardioSmart.org/HighBP to learn more about High Blood. Greetings from Doris Grinspun Executive Director Registered Nurses Association of Ontario It is with great excitement that the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) is partnering with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario in the development, evaluation and dissemination of the guideline Nursing Management of Hypertension. Evidence-based practice supports the excellence in service that nurses are committed to deliver in our day-to-day practice and we are delighted to provide this key resource to you. RNAO offers its heartfelt thanks to the many individuals and institutions that are making our vision for Nursing Best Practice Guidelines a reality. As you are aware, the Government of Ontario recognized our ability to lead this program and is providing multi-year funding. BPG Program Director Tazim Virani and her amazing team of experts are putting those funds to good use, moving this program forward faster and stronger than ever imagined. The nursing community, with its commitment and passion for excellence in nursing care, is providing the knowledge and countless hours essential to the development, implementation, evaluation and revision of each guideline. Employers have responded enthusiastically by nominating best practice champions, implementing and evaluating the guidelines and working towards a culture of evidence-based practice. A special thanks to the Nursing Management of Hypertension guideline panel, led by Cindy Bolton and resource staff Heather McConnell. We respect and value your expertise and tremendous commitment. Partnerships such as ours provide a tremendous opportunity to network and share expertise in the development of guidelines. The collaboration between the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario and RNAO creates a synergy in dissemination and uptake efforts. The endorsement of this guideline by the Canadian Hypertension Education Program (CHEP) demonstrates the strong support of this important stakeholder group, and offers opportunities for networking at the national level. Successful uptake of these guidelines requires a concerted effort from nurse clinicians and their healthcare colleagues from other disciplines, from nurse educators in academic and practice settings and from employers. After lodging these guidelines into their minds and hearts, knowledgeable and skillful nurses and nursing students need healthy and supportive work environments to help bring these guidelines to life. We ask that you share this guideline with members of the interdisciplinary team. There is much to learn from one another. Together, we can ensure that Ontarians receive the best possible care every time they come in contact with us. Let’s make them the real winners in this important effort! The RNAO is pleased to have had the pleasure of working with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario in this important initiative. We look forward to future opportunities for collaboration. Together, we are building a healthier Ontario! Doris Grinspun, RN, MScN, PhD(c), OOnt. Executive Director Registered Nurses Association of Ontario 1 Nursing Best Practice Guideline Terry Coote Manager, Professional Education Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario is pleased to partner with the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario in the creation of a nursing best practice guideline on Hypertension. This important work is part of the Primary Care Partnerships for Blood Pressure Reduction strategy, a project funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care under the Primary Health Care Transition Fund. Recognizing that a nursing best practice guideline did not exist in this area, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the RNAO agreed to produce such a guideline, in a collaborative effort that addresses all aspects of hypertension management across the scope of nursing practice. The Heart and Stroke Foundation is currently leading the High Blood Pressure Strategy, which is a five-year plan with the potential to show a significant positive impact on hypertension in Ontario. This plan is comprised of two major components, namely enhancement of primary healthcare providers’ management of hypertensive patients, and research into two emerging areas. These research endeavours include studying the role of systolic blood pressure in patients aged 45 and older, as well as examining issues about the social determinants of high blood pressure. Several other key activities will inform these two main components, such as a prevalence survey to update the 1992 Heart Health Survey statistics for hypertension in Ontario, a strong evaluation plan focused on both the 5-year impact of the strategy and its major elements, as well as advocacy efforts to speak to