The December issue of AJN is now live. Here are some articles we’d like to bring to your attention.

CE Feature: “Original Research: Examining the Links Between Lifestyle Factors and Metabolic Syndrome”

In 2008, according to the World Health Organization, more than 1.4 billion adults were overweight and more than half a billion were obese, and those numbers have likely increased since these data were reported. The authors of this study examined lifestyle risk factors for metabolic syndrome—such as dietary and exercise habits—in people who are overweight or obese, aiming to distinguish those lifestyle factors associated with metabolic health in this population.

CE Feature: “Preventing Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury”

Diagnostic radiographic imaging scans using intravascular iodinated contrast media can lead to various complications. The most salient of these is contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) or contrastinduced nephropathy, a potentially costly and serious patient safety concern. In order to ensure safe, high-quality care, nurses must be involved in efforts to prevent CI-AKI as well as interventions that minimize patients’ risk of kidney injury. This article provides an evidence-based review of screening, risk assessment, and hydration protocols for the clinical management of patients receiving contrast agents for radiographic imaging studies.

Supporting Family Caregivers: “Administration of Subcutaneous Injections”

In this second installment in a series published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute, the authors discuss how nurses can help family caregivers enhance their knowledge, experience, and skill in managing injectable treatments.

Special Feature: “Remembering Pearl Harbor at 75 Years”

On the anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the authors tell the stories of five army and navy nurses who witnessed the attack, prepared for the casualties, and selflessly cared for the many victims.

There’s much more in our December issue, including a Professional Development article about a new nurse’s experience advocating for and influencing a policy change on his unit, and a Profile of a nurse who developed a model to integrate mental health into primary care. Click here to browse the table of contents and explore the issue on our Web site.

A note on the cover:

On this month’s cover, an American NP, Mary Plumb Senkel, is shown at the rural makeshift clinic near Jacmel, Haiti, where she volunteers. This photo won an honorable mention in AJN’s 2015 Faces of Caring: Nurses at Work photo contest, in which readers around the world submitted their photos of nurses on the job.