This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Springer via the DOI in this record.Hypertension is predominantly detected and managed in primary or community care
settings. Nurses are key members of the multidisciplinary primary care team, and are
commonly involved in measuring or managing blood pressure. Nurses undertake a range of
tasks in hypertension care and many randomised controlled trials of different nurse led
interventions have been conducted, providing evidence from different populations. There is
good evidence to support better blood pressure outcomes when nurses deliver care face to
face, but not remotely. Other important components of these complex interventions appear
to be the inclusion of a structured care algorithm, ability to prescribe or altering
medications, and maintaining contact at least monthly until blood pressure is controlled to
target. There is limited reporting of the costs of interventions and evidence for cost
effectiveness of nurse led care compared to usual care is lacking, and there is no clear
evidence from longer term follow up of the effect of nurse led interventions on
cardiovascular outcomes. The design of programmes for nurse led care in hypertension
should take account of the existing evidence and areas of uncertainly. Nurses generally work
within teams and future studies of team approaches to hypertension, either including or led
by nurses, are needed. Any future studies of nurse led care should include a robust cost
effectiveness analysis
