Abstract
Background: As frontline healthcare workers, emergency department nurses face high levels of urgency in their work and are exposed to a high risk of contingencies. Their blood pressure status and influencing factors require close attention. Methods: This study employed a census method and conducted a cross-sectional survey in 11 cities in Hebei Province from November 2016 to July 2018, measuring blood pressure and collecting questionnaires on influencing factors. Binary logistic regression and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the factors influencing blood pressure. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine the interaction effects between monthly night shift frequency and other influencing factors on the blood pressure of emergency department nurses. Results: A total of 7218 emergency department nurses in Hebei Province were included (median [IQR] age, 29 [8] years; 6038 [83.65%] women). The prevalence of hypertension was 9.43%. The median SBP (M [IQR]) was 112.0 (13) mmHg, and the median DBP was 70.0 (14) mmHg. Analysis showed that gender, age, BMI, marital status, hospital location, monthly night shift frequency, hyperlipidemia, and antihypertensive medication were influencing factors for the blood pressure (p < 0.05). Significant interactions existed between monthly night shift frequency and marital status, monthly night shift frequency and hospital grade, and monthly night shift frequency and hyperlipidemia (p < 0.05). The systolic blood pressure of emergency department nurses who were divorced or widowed or in Class I hospitals or hyperlipidemia increased to a high degree with the increase of night shifts. The diastolic blood pressure of those combined with hyperlipidemia increased higher with the rise of night shifts. Conclusion: The blood pressure of emergency department nurses requires attention. Nursing managers should pay particular attention to nurses in the emergency department who are prone to hypertension and take proactive measures to prevent and manage hypertension.