Wound Debridement: And Other Recommended Reading from AJN’s December Issue

This month’s cover photo shows a surgeon performing a total knee arthroplasty. See our “On the Cover” column for more.

The December issue of AJN is now live.

This month’s CE, “Evidence-Informed Nursing Clinical Practices for Wound Debridement,” provides nurses with a wound management framework, an overview of wound debridement options based on the potential for wound healing, and scope of practice considerations for developing a plan of care.

Two Original Research articles in this issue explore aspects of care following orthopedic surgery:

Various types of water can be used to flush enteral feeding tubes, but which type of water is best supported by evidence? Read

2024-11-21T10:01:50-05:00November 21st, 2024|Nursing|0 Comments
Read More

September Issue: Postinjury Pain and Mental Health Symptoms, Supporting Family Caregivers, More

“As the most invisible part of our health care workforce, family caregivers come from all walks of life.”—Heather M. Young, Rita B. Choula, and Susan C. Reinhard in their Guest Editorial, “Caring for a Person Living with Pain”

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

Pain and Mental Health Symptoms After Traumatic Orthopedic Injury

A review of the presentation, screening, and treatment of postinjury symptoms associated with stressor-related disorders such as acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder, including pain, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression.

AJN Reports: Diabetes Self-Management in the Acute Care Unit

A discussion of the practical and policy barriers affecting hospitalized patients with diabetes who wish to maintain a role in their own glucose management—and how new technologies may support the case for greater flexibility.

Special Feature: Increasing Access to Diabetes Education in Rural Alabama Through Telehealth

The authors describe a project they developed to assess the use of telehealth technology to deliver diabetes self-management education and support in a rural, small group setting.

[…]

2022-08-29T09:15:32-04:00August 29th, 2022|Nursing|0 Comments
Read More

March Issue: Assessing Movement-Evoked Pain, Medical Aid in Dying, More

“Hope may be hard to find at times, but it’s what sustains us.”—editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy in her editorial, “Making It Through March”

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

CE: Assessing Movement-Evoked Pain

This article discusses the importance of assessing pain during movement, especially in postoperative patients; what such an assessment can reveal about the intensity, impact on patient functioning, and tolerability of pain; and protocols and tools for completing these assessments.

Medical Aid in Dying: What Every Nurse Needs to Know

The author provides an overview of aid in dying in the United States—offering an illustrative case report that highlights the struggles of one patient and his family—and discusses the nurse’s role and nursing implications.

Conversations: ‘How Can Acute Care Recover from the Pandemic?’

Four nursing leaders weigh in on the challenges faced by acute care nurses today—and identify opportunities for change.

[…]

2022-02-28T09:46:49-05:00February 28th, 2022|Nursing|0 Comments
Read More

Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy: More Than Just Pins and Needles

When I was in graduate school, I worked as a chemotherapy nurse. Patients would often talk about the side effects of the medications. One of the most bothersome was the peripheral neuropathy that caused numbness and tingling—the “pins and needles”—and often cramping, pain, and weakness that made walking difficult.

Assessing and managing CIPN as well as educating patients.

This month, Robert Knoerl’s article, “Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy” (CIPN), provides a review of “strategies to use in assessing, managing, and educating patients who are at risk for or are experiencing CIPN.” He notes that CIPN affects 68% of patients receiving many commonly used drugs for cancer treatment and can begin as early as the first treatment and continue long after treatment ends, resulting in months of debilitating symptoms.

Although certain classes of medication may help alleviate symptoms in some patients, there are no medications approved specifically for treating CIPN. There is, however, some evidence that exercise can help mitigate the effects. […]

2021-04-22T07:29:29-04:00April 19th, 2021|Nursing|0 Comments
Read More

May Issue Highlights: Pain Management in Critical Care, ECG Interpretation Basics, More

“The reality of an insufficient health care workforce and underfunded health care system is all too evident. . . . Perhaps things will change after this, and we will be ready the next time. I hope so.”—editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy in her May Editor’s Note, “Life, Interrupted“

In case you’d like a break from COVID-19 headlines and want to keep up with some other nursing and health care topics, the May issue of AJN is now live. Here are the highlights:

Original Research: Exploring the Effects of a Nurse-Initiated Diary Intervention on Post–Critical Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

The authors examine how collaborative diary writing—by patients, visitors, and interdisciplinary team members—can affect the development of posttraumatic stress disorder and symptom severity in critical illness survivors.

CE: Managing Pain in Critically Ill Adults: A Holistic Approach

A review of the Society of Critical Care Medicine’s PADIS guidelines—and how they go beyond the earlier PAD guidelines—in providing specific guidance related to assessment and management of pain, use of opioids in critical illness, and use of adjunctive analgesia.

New Series: Strip Savvy: A Case of Bradycardia and Extreme Fatigue

This is the first article in a new series on the basics of electrocardiography (ECG) interpretation. […]

2020-04-27T09:02:16-04:00April 27th, 2020|Nursing|0 Comments
Read More

Comment ground rules

1. Please be respectful.
2. We moderate all comments.

Content disclaimer

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.
Go to Top