Exploring the meaning of the nurse practitioner role in health promotion and disease prevention: A focus on prehypertension

This qualitative study, utilizing narrative inquiry and the three-dimensional narrative inquiry space, explored the meaning nurse practitioners ascribe to the experiences of caring for prehypertensive patients and related health promotion. Interviews were conducted with eight nurse practitioners who self-identified as caring for prehypertensive adults in primary care. Interpretation of the data revealed common themes across the narratives. The use of the three-dimensional narrative inquiry space provided direction for the researcher to view the participant's narratives. Shared stories revealed caring for prehypertension in today's health care environment is complex. Participants shared feelings of frustration and hope as the realities of practice and ambiguous role identity led to adaption of practice style bridging the nursing and medical models. Findings of this study will give voice to nurse practitioners caring for prehypertensive patients, filling a gap in the literature. Additionally, knowledge generated from this study will raise the consciousness of primary care providers regarding the identification and management of prehypertension.