Honoring Hispanic Heritage: And Other Recommended Reading from AJN’s October Issue

The October issue of AJN is now live.

In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, AJN’s October cover features Wings That Remember, Wings That Resist, a work by artist Daniel Suárez-Baquero, PhD, MSN, BSN-RN, and graphic designer Nelson Martinez. Suárez-Baquero says that the image—a resplendent quetzal in flight—is a reflection on “migration, resilience, and freedom.” Read more here.

This month’s issue celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month. As noted by Tina Loarte-Rodriguez in her guest editorial, “The legacy of Hispanic and Latine nurses is one of courage, compassion, and an unwavering pursuit of justicia in health. Nursing must embody the equity it champions: by reckoning with racism, fostering healing within our profession, and elevating diverse nurse leaders who reflect and serve our communities.”

To that end, this special issue features:

2025-09-25T12:58:59-04:00September 25th, 2025|Nursing|0 Comments
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AI and Nursing: Recommended Reading in AJN’s October Issue

The October issue of AJN is now live.

This month’s AJN Reports takes a close look at how artificial intelligence is being used in health care—and why nurses must be involved in its development and implementation.

“Current and Emerging Applications of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation” describes the use of this procedure to treat recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, nursing management of individuals undergoing it, and its future applications. CE credit is available.

To learn more about the potential oral complications of adjuvant endocrine therapy in breast cancer survivors, the authors of the October Original Research article compared aspects of oral health in those who were taking the therapy with those who were not.

“Activism Is an Essential Nursing Role” discusses the rationale for and roots of political activism in nursing, the values that shape it, and the importance of nursing’s stance on health-related policies.

How can nurses best attend to seriously ill patients’ existential needs? Read “Perspectives on Palliative Nursing: Existential Care in Daily Nursing Practice” for an overview of key priorities.

See also the extensive health care news sections, the Journal Watch and Drug Watch sections, a Specialty Spotlight column highlighting critical care […]

2024-01-25T10:51:20-05:00September 25th, 2023|artificial intelligence (AI), Technology|1 Comment
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A Time to Heal: Taking a Break from Nursing After a Cancer Diagnosis

Photo by Javardh on Unsplash

Most nurses I know enjoy Nurses Week as an acknowledgment of the very important work we do every day. Nurses’ Week can also be an opportunity to think about our own needs, or to practice “self-care,” a term I find problematic because I worry it has become one of those ideas that nurses get blamed for the absence of, as in, a nurse is stressed on the job because he hasn’t done his “self-care.” However, regardless of how management discusses “self-care,” it’s an important idea: that nurses need breaks, moments to relax, have fun, and nourish our own humanity so that we come to work ready to humanely care for patients.

The problem with doing a hard job, like nursing, is that recovery is hard, too, and when the job itself seems to expect employees to be superhuman, finding the will to really care for ourselves can be difficult. I discovered how truly challenging that can be after being diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in September 2017. At the time I was working as a per diem home hospice nurse and I knew instinctively that I could not care well for dying patients when I was worried about […]

2022-05-09T09:20:58-04:00May 9th, 2022|Nursing|0 Comments
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AJN’s Recent Breast Cancer Articles: From Screening to Late Treatment Effects

Image via Flickr / Ted Fu

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a time when we hear and read much about breast cancer statistics, the importance of screening, and the stories of those affected by the disease. According to the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States; an estimated 12% of women will face a diagnosis during their lifetimes.

In recognition of this month, we’re sharing a list of some of our most recent articles on the topic, which cover the latest in screening guidelines, treatments and treatment effects, and more:

All of these articles are free to access this month.

2018-10-15T09:16:13-04:00October 15th, 2018|Nursing|0 Comments
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Holding Space for Integrative Medicine in Oncology Care

When the patient distrusts the treatment.

Explaining why chemotherapy is indicated for their treatment to a newly diagnosed cancer patient is part of a day’s work for oncology nurses and physicians. Oncology nurse navigators are no exception—I am relied upon to reinforce patient education and answer questions.

While many patients come to us with the attitude “I’ll do whatever you say, let’s fight this cancer!” others present with a deep distrust of health care. Some of their distrust is justified, a result of corporate greed, Big Pharma, and federal regulations, coupled with misunderstandings of the treatment approval process of insurance companies. Depending on the intensity of these patient conversations, it sometimes feels as if we, the oncology team, are under attack, when it is our intent to help.

Despite good health habits, a cancer diagnosis.

Held / Julianna Paradisi / colored pencil and ink on watercolor paper 2018 – adapted from image author drew during cancer treatment

I was a pediatric intensive care nurse when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My oncology experience was limited to monitoring young patients with a high risk of tumor lysis syndrome during induction of chemotherapy. The actual chemotherapy was administered by pediatric oncology–certified nurses who knew how to keep the patients […]

2018-07-02T13:26:59-04:00July 2nd, 2018|Nursing, nursing roles, patient experience, Patients|3 Comments
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Views expressed on the blog are solely those of the authors or persons quoted. They do not necessarily reflect AJN’s views or those of Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
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