Essential (primary) hypertension is chronically elevated BP without identifiable secondary cause in most adults. Nursing emphasizes accurate measurement, lifestyle modification, medication adherence, end-organ screening, and recognizing hypertensive emergency vs urgency. Connect Essential Hypertension to bedside cues you will reassess first: vitals trends, work of breathing, perfusion, mentation, and pain or ischemic equivalents when relevant. NCLEX items often reward recognizing when subtle instability outweighs reassurance, then selecting nursing actions that protect airway, circulation, and neurologic status before routine tasks.