Abstract

Promoting the wellness of healthcare professionals regarding cardiovascular disease (CVD) should be one of the important responsibilities of hospital leaders. The prevalence CVD is increasingly serious, and today's society is severely affected by the dramatic rise in healthcare costs, disability and mortality rates, and the declining quality of life associated with the cardiovascular disease epidemic. Considering the side effects and economic factors associated with long-term medication use, non-medication approaches, such as exercising, smoking cessation, and adopting healthy eating habits are widely used to treat and manage hypertension along with pharmacotherapy (Mahmood et al., 2019). In particular, it was reported that physical activity, including moderate-intensity exercises, reduced cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, effectively (Parker, Schmitz, Jacobs, Dengel, & Schreiner, 2007). Tai Chi, a time-honored exercise, was listed in the first batch of China's national intangible cultural heritage list. Tai Chi is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice, with many genres, suitable for all age groups. Multiple studies show a correlation between Tai Chi and its effect on lowering cardiovascular disease risk factors. Compared to non-intervention controls, Tai Chi was reported as helping significantly improve at least one factor associated with cardiovascular risk and showing significant improvement for body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QoL).

The Tai Chi intervention may have unparalleled economic benefits. In 2016, the estimated direct medical costs and lost productivity attributed to cardiovascular disease were $555 billion, and the direct and indirect annual costs of CVD are projected to reach $1.1 trillion by 2035 (American's Health Rankings, 2018). The Tai Chi program roughly costs $6100 per month totaling $73,200 per year, and this covers the expense of the infrastructure and personnel. Tai Chi has graceful movements with moderate intensity, consists of slow continuous, soft and circular movements in a flowing form. It is not limited by the physical site, as it could be performed both indoor and outdoor. Tai Chi is safe and is very feasible for a diverse population. The Tai Chi project is widely expected to be a valuable project to support the health of healthcare professionals.

Date of publication

Spring 4-27-2020

Document Type

MSN Capstone Project (Local Access)

Language

english

Persistent identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10950/2623

Degree

Master of Science in Nursing

Comments

I would appreciate any comments and suggestions to improve my work; please feel free to let me know. Thank you!

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