AJN0616 Cover Online

This month’s cover photo evokes the isolation faced by victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). According to Karen Roush, PhD, RN, lead author of the study in this issue that reports on the perceptions of rural health care providers who care for these victims, “

[i]solation is one of an abuser’s biggest weapons,” especially for those who live in rural areas.

Health care providers are positioned to provide support for victims of IPV, but knowledge and practice gaps get in the way. For more on this topic, read this month’s original research CE, “Intimate Partner Violence: The Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors of Rural Health Care Providers.”

Some other articles of note in the June issue:

CE Feature: Late and Long-Term Sequelae of Breast Cancer Treatment.” More than 12% of women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives; 78% of them can be expected to survive for at least 15 years. There are more than 2.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States and as many as 90% of them report physical problems that can reduce functional ability, produce or exacerbate emotional problems, negatively affect body image, and diminish quality of life.

This third article in a series on cancer survivorship care from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center provides an overview of the potentially debilitating physical problems that many breast cancer survivors experience after treatment, and addresses assessment and management strategies.

Special Feature: Nurses in the Civil Rights Movement.” In the 1950s and 1960s, the civil rights movement gained momentum. This article highlights the experiences of five nurses and one nursing student who took a stand for social justice by protesting, marching, and organizing to fight for racial equality during that time.

Perspectives on Palliative Nursing: Palliative Chemotherapy.” This first article in a series on palliative care developed in collaboration with the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association addresses the use of chemotherapy in patients with end-stage cancer—citing evidence that it may do more harm than good—and explores the nurse’s role in discussing palliative options with patients.

Transition to Practice: A New Nurse’s First Days at the Bedside.” In this initial installment of a new column for recent graduates, the author shares tips for easing first-day anxiety and preparing to start a job.

There’s much more in our June issue, including an AJN Reports that examines the issue of workplace violence against nurses, and a Profile of a nurse who has dedicated her career to improving critically ill infants’ access to human milk, so click here to browse the table of contents and explore the issue on our Web site.