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 (news articles in AJN are free access):

E-cigarette packaging uses colorful images to depict various flavors. Photo by David Becker / Reuters.

Toxic Exposures of Young Children to E-Cigarettes on the Rise

A new analysis of calls to U.S. poison control centers found that e-cigarette exposures in children younger than six increased dramatically from 2012 to 2015. Though child-resistant packaging for e-cigarette products was federally mandated in January, advocates are also calling for regulations on eye-catching packaging, which can be attractive to children.

Transgender Rights in Health Care

Recent federal actions are raising awareness about the needs of gender-nonconforming individuals, who have poor health outcomes and often face substandard care, insufficient insurance coverage, and inadequate health outreach.

A Snapshot of the 2015 National Nursing Workforce

Results of a large-scale survey of RNs reveal that education levels among nurses are increasing, along with gender and ethnic diversity, and that the aging of the RN population is slowing—an indicator that concerns about an impending nursing shortage due to retirements may be unwarranted.

Abigail Begin next to her family’s well in Maine. The family only learned that the well contained arsenic after signing up for a study that offered a water quality test. Photo by Amy Temple.

Arsenic Levels in Drinking Water Linked to Bladder Cancer

In light of significantly elevated rates of the disease in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, investigators conducted a population-based case–control study that found a connection between bladder cancer incidence and exposure to arsenic via well water.

More Community Colleges Offering RN-to-BSN Programs

Although shortages of faculty and clinical placement sites present some concerns, the number of community college baccalaureate programs is growing nationwide. Rural students in particular may benefit from the option to earn a degree where they live and work.

In addition, click here and scroll down to “In the News” for this month’s NewsCAPs (brief takes on hot health-related topics) as well as a recap of announcements from U.S. and global health agencies.