Ajn The American Journal Of Nursing - Behind The Article

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and Clinical Managing Editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the November issue of the American Journal of Nursing. A nursing student appears on this month’s cover tying in with our original research piece on newly licensed RNs. Our first CE this month is an emergency article on IV access with an accompanying video. The second CE discusses a pilot study on assessing patients for dysemia. An Emerging Infections article explains Coccidioidomycosis or “valley fever.” AJN Reports and Safety Monitor this month both explore obesity-related topics including the political implications of obesity as a “disease,” and equipment concerns when caring for obese patients. In addition, our issue includes News, In Our Community, Reflections, Viewpoint, Drug Watch, Art of Nursing, and more.

AJN editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy sits down with Bev Malone at the NLN Summit in September 2013, in Washington, DC. Discussion ranges from NLN’s recent move of its headquarters to Washington DC from New York City, NLN’s strategies and priorities and status of the nursing faculty shortage.

Christine Waszynski & Patricia Veronneau Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy speaks with the authors about their nurse-led project to make better use of the “sitters” who were providing continuous observation for patients suffering from cognitive impairment, delirium and other conditions causing agitated behavior. Simple interventions led to less disruptive behavior.

Often times, mouth care may be neglected or performed inadequately to reduce oral bacteria that may cause pneumonia. This article offers a step-by- step guide to evidence-based practice for oral care for intubated patients. Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy discusses the author’s experience in writing this article and what she hopes nurses will take away from it.

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and Clinical Managing Editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the October issue of the American Journal of Nursing. This month’s cover photo comes from a photo essay of gender non-conforming children at a camp for transgender children, tying in with our AJN reports on the same topic. Nurses from Hartford Hospital wrote our first CE this month, describing their successful nurse-led quality improvement project for cognitively-impaired patients. The second CE discusses the prevention of VAP pneumonia through mouth care. Another article explains how nurses can advise patients who have an infestation of bed bugs. The iNurse column introduces podcasts to those unfamiliar with their relevance to nursing today, and the Evidence for Excellence column explores opioid-induced neurotoxicity. In addition, our issue includes News, Reflections, Viewpoint, Drug Watch, Art of Nursing, and more.

AJN's editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy speaks with Dr. Hartley, who along with nurse epidemiologist Marilyn Ridenour, led a team to develop a program to educate nurses about workplace violence. The program, a series of online modules, is free and available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/violence/training_nurses.html See the related blog post at http://wp.me/prthD-43r

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and Clinical Managing Editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the September issue of the American Journal of Nursing. Photography by an upstate New York physician appears on this month’s cover – from his project capturing the stories of patients in the Adirondacks. The image ties in with our first September CE examining loneliness in older adults. The second CE describes care of pregnant women in the criminal justice system. Policy and Politics this month assesses gun violence as a public health issue, and another article recognizes Nurse Academy, a program that introduces high school students to the nursing profession. The authors of our Cultivating Quality describe failure to rescue, the Wound Wise column explains pressure ulcer guidelines, and of course, our issue includes Reflections, Viewpoint, Drug Watch, Art of Nursing, and more.

Current practices in the treatment and transfer of pregnant inmates in this country may negatively affect maternal and fetal health or well-being. Some, like shackling during labor, may violate federal or state laws; others conflict with standards of obstetric care and are widely considered unethical or inhumane. Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy discusses these practices and implications for nurses with the author.

Jennifer Mallow (Left) & Laurie Theeke (Right) Loneliness is a contributing factor to various health problems in older adults. This pilot study of community-dwelling older adults in Appalachia showed the presence of significant loneliness and loneliness was significantly related to the number of comorbidities and use of several medications. Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy speaks with the authors about the implications for nurses in assessing and intervening in loneliness.

Clinical managing editor Karen Roush speaks with Dr. Jodie Gary, assistant professor at Texas ANM Health Science Center College, and author of the article “Exploring the Concept and Use of Positive Deviance in Nursing.” She describes the difficulty nurses encounter providing patient-centered care while remaining within strict policies in a complex environment. Nurses who extend care beyond these policies know that they’re deviating, but are doing so in a responsible way with honorable intentions that benefit the patient. She suggests increased flexibility through guidelines rather than rules under circumstances that require the adaptation of care to suit the patient and their immediate needs.

Clinical managing editor Karen Roush presents the highlights of the August issue of the American Journal of Nursing. On the cover this month, a nurse enjoys fishing with a boy at a summer camp for children with life-threatening disorders. Our first August CE describes positive deviance - an intentional act of breaking the rules in order to save the greater good – as it applies to improving patient care. The second CE describes an automated vital sign system to alert nurses of early warning signs of cardiac pulmonary arrest. Another article explains how patient focus groups can lead to innovative solutions to healthcare problems and improved care. And a piece from the Netherlands describes how a grassroots team of nurses developed a successful new model of homecare that has spread throughout their country. The authors of our Correspondence from Abroad column this month describe their experiences teaching bachelor’s level nursing in Bangladesh since 2004. And of course, our issue includes Reflections, Viewpoint

It’s estimated that only 25% of veterans access care through the VA Health Care System, so it’s highly likely that nurses in all settings will find themselves at some point providing care to veterans. Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy speaks with this author about the unique health issues of recent veterans and what nurses should know and think about when they are assessing them.

Nurses often encounter patients who, despite best efforts by both the nurse and the patient, are unable to follow the treatment plan and may even pursue hurtful behaviors, like a patient with COPD who continues to smoke. Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy speaks with the author, who is also AJN’s contributing editor for ethics, about this issue, how it can interfere with the nurse-patient relationship, and approaches nurses can take when patients do self-defeating behavior.

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and clinical managing editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the July issue of the American Journal of Nursing. In recognition of the recent lifting of the ban on women in combat, a female soldier appears on our cover this month, on a patrol in Southern Afghanistan. Our first CE describes important factors for nurses to consider when treating veterans in non-VA settings. The second CE is on irritable bowel syndrome and reviews current approaches to treatment and implications for nurses. Our Ethical Issues column describes caring for patients while respecting their choices, no matter how unhealthy. Cultivating Quality features a QI project that decreased hospital readmissions, and AJN Reports explains how women’s longevity and health needs lead to higher insurance costs. And of course there’s Viewpoint, Drug Watch, Art of Nursing, Reflections, and more.

AJN editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy interviewed outgoing ICN president Rosemary Bryant in Melbourne, Australia, site of the 25th Quadrennial Congress. Bryant, who is Australia’s chief nurse and midwifery officer, spoke about her accomplishments and challenges, including recent issues around dues, governance changes and the suspension of the Royal College of Nursing.

Sleep patterns are fairly well-established until adolescence when physiologic and social needs interfere with sleep cycles. Adolescents typically need about nine hours of sleep but typically get far less. AJN editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy discusses the ramifications of sleep disruptions in this group with author Nancy George.

Ruth McDermott Nina Kaktins Barbara Sattler Fracking (high volume hydraulic fracturing) releases natural gas trapped below the earth and involves a process of drilling into the earth and pumping high volumes of water, sand and chemicals (some of which are known to be toxic) under pressure to release the gases. The water is then collected and stored in open air tanks until it can be decontaminated and discarded. Early reports link fracking with contaminated drinking water from leakages as well as health problems for workers, farm animals and residents, including respiratory, skin and eye problems, headaches and other neurological symptoms and fatigue. Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy speaks with the authors about how nurses can be involved in monitoring exposure symptoms, raising awareness of hazards and advocating for prevention of public health illness by being proactive.

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and clinical managing editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the June issue of the American Journal of Nursing. A resident of Washington County Pennsylvania appears on our cover this month, holding tap water contaminated by fracking that began above her farm in 2005. Our first CE describes sleep deprivation and physiology in adolescents. The second CE is an original research article on catheter-associated urinary tract infections. And of course, there are other features, an iNurse column describing nursing applications for microblogging, an Evidence for Excellence column on adolescent sexual health, News, AJN Reports, Viewpoint, Drug Watch, Art of Nursing, Reflections, and more.

In our May issue, we celebrate Nurses Week with this podcast on a program at Salem Hospital called Nurses Give Back. These projects addressed access to care and community health improvement activities (such as vaccination drives) and community building (working with Habitat for Humanity, for instance). Some were designed to provide money and in-kind contributions to chosen charities. Other projects benefited patients during hospitalization, such as the “Clothing Closet,” which is stocked by the staff and offers items to homeless and low-income patients.

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and clinical managing editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the May issue of the American Journal of Nursing. Our cover photo comes from an award-winning 2005 Boston Globe series that included an article about the progress of a nursing student in Mass General’s eight-month ICU program. Our first CE is an article on hemodynamic indicators and their use for fluid resuscitation in critically ill patients. The second CE is an original research from Brazil on telephone follow- up for patients after myocardial revascularization – a systematic review. And of course, there are other features, an Ethical Issues column on limited staffing and delayed response to patients, article on nurses giving back to the community during National Nurses Week, News, AJN Reports, Viewpoint, Drug Watch, Art of Nursing, Reflections, and more.