Mental health Archives - Off the Charts

On-Demand Nursing Jobs: And Other Recommended Reading from AJN’s June Issue

The June issue of AJN is now live.

What factors are predictive of hypoglycemia among inpatients with type 2 diabetes? Read Timple and colleagues’ Original Research article, “Predictors of Hypoglycemia in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in Acute Care Settings: A Retrospective Correlational Study,” to learn more.

This month’s CE article, “An Adolescent with Undiagnosed Inattentive-Type Attention Deficit–Hyperactivity Disorder and Comorbid Migraine: A Case Report,” describes an adolescent with inattention and migraine who was not diagnosed with ADHD until age 14, when the teen established care with an NP experienced in treating ADHD.

“Professional Licensure: Protecting Your Nursing Livelihood, Part 3,” the final article in a series on protecting one’s nursing license, discusses the public nature of disciplinary action, collateral implications, and suggestions for maintaining one’s license in good standing.

Read about the flexibility, autonomy, and risks of gig nursing in our June AJN Reports, “On-Demand Nursing Jobs.”

In “The Impact of a Low-Technology Medication Organization System on Hospital-at-Home Medication Errors,” the authors describe an interdisciplinary quality improvement project to mitigate errors resulting from misplaced or misused medications among hospital-at-home patients.

“Librarian Partnerships in DNP Education,” the sixth article in a series on how to teach and facilitate […]

Diane Szulecki, editor2025-05-22T10:58:39-04:00May 27th, 2025|Nursing|0 Comments

The Hidden Crisis: Unveiling the Mental Health Struggles of Teen Boys

In today’s world, teenage boys are facing a crisis that often goes unnoticed: their mental health. Anxiety, depression, despair, and even suicidal thoughts plague young boys and young men alike. Shockingly, teenage boys and young men in the United States are more than twice as likely, and sometimes up to four times as likely, to die by suicide compared to their female counterparts. They are also at a higher risk of gun violence and drug overdoses. It’s time to shed light on this crucial issue that often remains overlooked by both the public and health care professionals.

The increase in youth mental health issues has garnered considerable attention in recent times, with the U.S. surgeon general calling it “the defining public health crisis of our time.” But a lot of this has focused on the struggles of adolescent girls and LGBTQ+ teens.

Undoubtedly, these issues deserve our utmost attention and support. However, it is a mistake to assume that teenage boys and young men are faring well. As someone who writes and speaks about boys and has personal experience raising four sons, I understand that male depression and anxiety often manifest as irritability, rage, or anger. Many young males turn to alcohol or drugs as a form […]

Guest Author2023-06-01T07:53:32-04:00June 1st, 2023|mental illness, Nursing|0 Comments

Pediatric Mental Health Tops ECRI’s 2023 Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns

Photo by Eric Ward on Unsplash

Each year, the ECRI Institute creates a list of top 10 patient safety concerns along with actionable recommendations for institutions to reduce these risks.

Some years, the list includes repeat offenders such as medication errors and concerns surrounding staffing. In the past few years, the list has reflected the reality of living during a global pandemic, with 2022’s top 10 concerns including clinician’s mental health, supply chain disruptions, and vaccine coverage gaps. This year’s list moves away from the pandemic somewhat, but still includes some fallout from COVID-19, with the number one concern reflecting a crisis among our youth: pediatric mental health.

According to the report:

“Concern for pediatric mental health was already high during the 2010s due to the growing use of social media, limited access to pediatric behavioral health providers, drug and alcohol use, gun violence, and socioeconomic impact, among other stressors. However, pediatric mental health issues have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 29% increase in children age 3 to 17 experiencing anxiety and a 27% increase in depression in 2020 compared with 2016.”

The report lists some recommendations to confront this issue, including securing leadership support and resources to evaluate the organization’s pediatric behavioral […]

Amy M. Collins, managing editor2023-04-05T12:25:54-04:00April 5th, 2023|patient safety|0 Comments

November Issue: Pediatric Antibiotic Stewardship, New Family Caregivers Series, More

“Kindness goes a long way. Patience. Remember that everybody’s going through something.”—school nurse Tonja Frank in the November Conversations article

The November issue of AJN is now live. Here’s what’s new. Some articles may be free only to subscribers.

Original Research: Suicidal Ideation and Attitudes Toward Help Seeking in U.S. Nurses Relative to the General Working Population

This study investigated the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attitudes toward seeking mental health care among U.S. nurses relative to other workers; and, among nurses, the extent to which personal and professional factors, including burnout, were related to suicidal ideation.

CE: Pediatric Antibiotic Stewardship

The authors review the evidence on shorter versus longer duration of antibiotic therapy for pediatric patients and discuss the nurse’s role in antibiotic stewardship.

Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone: The 4Ms of an Age-Friendly Health System

This article—the first in a new series published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute—outlines the 4Ms of an Age-Friendly Health System framework and how it can be implemented by the health care team, including nurses and family caregivers, in the inpatient hospital setting.
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Diane Szulecki, editor2021-10-25T08:58:45-04:00October 25th, 2021|Nursing|0 Comments

AJN September Issue: Ischemic Stroke, A New Approach to Fall Prevention, More

“Pain is a complex experience. Offering patients an opportunity to express their feelings, listening to their words, looking into their eyes and sensing their uncertainty are all part of the compassionate side of healing.”—Barbara Wukovits in her September Reflections column, “My Pocket of Care”

The September issue of AJN is now live. Here’s what’s new. Some articles may be free only to subscribers.

The June issue of AJN is now live.

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