Rough Draft Qualitative Research Critique and Ethical Considerations

Rough Draft Qualitative Research Critique and Ethical Considerations

A critical problem that continues to affect people throughout the world is hypertension.

1.28 billion adults between 30 and 70 suffer from hypertension (World Health Organization,

2023). This global problem has put individuals on medication for the rest of their lives. However,

is a medication regimen the only solution for these individuals? Alternatives, such as exercise-

related changes, have been highly recommended. The first article describes that exercise can help

reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension (Zhang et al., 2020). The second article notes

that medication provides symptomatic relief after taking them for some time but is often

discontinued as patients believe they are cured due to symptom relief (Gummidi et al., 2020).

These articles contribute to the PICOT question: Does implementing an exercise regimen for

hypertensive patients currently on a medication regimen decrease the overall blood pressure in

12 months compared to those who only have a medication regimen? This paper will critique two

qualitative studies by explaining how the articles support nurse practice, methods, results, and

ethical considerations.

Background of Studies

The first study by Zhang et al. (2020) conducted research that demonstrated the effects of

exercise on blood pressure. A problem with this study is that some participants may stop

exercising due to a lack of motivation and a busy schedule. This study is significant to nurses

because some may need to remember the importance of exercise when controlling blood

pressure. The purpose of his study was to document the effects of exercise and exercise-related

behavior on blood pressure in patients with hypertension (Zhang et al., 2020). The objective of

this study was to provide information regarding exercises and end exercise-related methods that

can be used and how to overcome factors that may cause a barrier.

The second study by Gummidi et al. (2020) explores how antihypertensive can be very

effective except when it is difficult for individuals to continue with the regimen, making

medication alone a poor choice in controlling blood pressure. The problem in this study is that

not everyone can follow a medication regimen. Adherence to medication alone to control blood

pressure may depend on medication side effects, cost, dosages, gender, and other co-morbidities

(Gummidi et al., 2020). This article is significant to nursing because nurses become the primary

educators. Being able to recognize that a medication regimen alone is not enough to keep blood

pressure under control can help prevent further hospitalizations. Nurses can also provide other

lifestyle modifications that can help improve blood pressure and make medication intake more

tolerable. This study highlighted the poor control of blood pressure with medications alone. The

objective is to explore the reason for irregular antihypertensive medication intake affecting blood

pressure and the perspective of healthcare providers (Gummidi et al., 2020). The research

question in this study is how blood pressure is affected by non-adherence and how to resolve this

issue to gain control of this disease which can be deadly