AJN0713.Cover.OnlineAJN’s July issue is now available on our Web site. Here’s a selection of what not to miss.

On our cover this month, U.S. Air Force first lieutenant Georganne Hassell is photographed during a presence patrol in Qalat City in southern Afghanistan. According to a 2011 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs report, America’s Women Veterans: Military Service History and VA Benefit Utilization Statistics, by 2035, women will make up 15% of all living U.S. veterans. For more on the health issues of women troops and women veterans, see this month’s editorial.

And for an overview of how to recognize and assess veterans’ unique health care issues, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), military sexual trauma, chronic pain, and traumatic brain injury, see our continuing education (CE) feature “Enhancing Veteran-Centered Care: A Guide for Nurses in Non-VA Settings.” This article, which also lists useful resources offering tools, educational materials, and veteran services, can earn you 3.1 CE credits. If you’re reading AJN on your iPad, you can listen to a podcast interview with the authors by clicking on the podcast icon on the first page of the article. The podcast is also available on our Web site.

The prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is estimated to be around 5% to 10% in North American, and it is diagnosed more often in people under the age of 50. No single drug effectively relieves all IBS symptoms. “Managing Irritable Bowel Syndrome” reviews current approaches to treatment, including medications, diet, and more, and discusses the implications for nurses. This article can earn you 2.5 CE credits.

Almost 20% of Medicare patients are readmitted to hospitals within 30 days of being discharged, and the estimated cost is more than $2.6 billion per year or over $1,000 per readmission. Read this month’s Cultivating Quality article, “A Project to Reengineer Discharges Reduces 30-Day Readmission Rates,” to learn how a Texas hospital decreased its readmission rates by implementing a set of 11 interventions developed by researchers.

There is plenty more in this issue, including an article by nurse ethicist Doug Olsen that considers the ethical obligations and challenges nurses face in treating patients who continue self-destructive practices, and our latest edge runner Profile, which highlights the work of Barbara Daly, PhD, RN, FAAN, who developed the first special care unit in the country. Stop by and have a look, and tell us what you think on Facebook, or here on our blog.
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