AJN’s monthly news section covers timely and important research and policy stories that are relevant to the nursing world. Here are some of the stories you’ll find in our current issue:

Frank Scavo refused to pay exorbitant prices for an EpiPen, and was hospitalized in August following a severe allergic reaction. Photo © Associated Press.

The High Cost of Prescription Drugs in America

In the past year, the prices of some prescription drugs have skyrocketed–the cost of an EpiPen two-pack, for example, jumped from $100 to more than $600. The reasons for the price hikes are complex, but major culprits include market exclusivity and the ability of drug companies to set prices.

New Patient Safety Requirements Toughen Nurse Licensure Compact

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing has drafted an enhanced version of the compact; it’s aimed at addressing concerns that the original compact has inadequate safeguards to guarantee the competence of nurses practicing across state lines. The enhanced version includes mandatory criminal background checks and uniform eligibility and licensure requirements.

 

Teens practice the handling of a newborn baby with a baby simulation doll. Photo by Torsten Silz / Staff / Getty Images.

Do Infant Simulators Deter Teen Pregnancy?

According to a study conducted in Australian schools, 13-to-15 year old girls who took home infant simulators—intended to deter pregnancy by showing teens the demands of child care—had higher subsequent pregnancy rates.

Physical Restraint Use Associated with RN Staffing

A new study of data from more than 3,000 U.S. medical, surgical, and medical–surgical units found that restraint rates were highest when the nursing staffing level or skill mix was below the unit’s average.

Parents Often Give the Wrong Dose of Medication to Their Children

In order to assess the characteristics of pediatric drug labels and dosing tools that impact dosing error rates, researchers recently conducted a randomized controlled experiment that found that 84.4% of parents made one or more dosing errors when measuring liquid medications.

In addition, click here and scroll down to “In the News” for this month’s NewsCAPs (brief takes on hot health-related topics).