The October issue of AJN is now live. Here are some articles we’d like to bring to your attention.
CE Feature: “A Review of Common Oral Treatments for Breast Cancer: Improving Patient Safety in Nononcology Settings”
According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 3 million women in the United States are currently living with a breast cancer diagnosis. Many seek care in nononcology settings for treatment, acute symptoms and complaints related to their cancer diagnosis, or unrelated concerns. Yet many nononcology providers are unfamiliar with the various oral agents used to treat breast cancer and their possible adverse effects and drug interactions. This article provides an overview of the most common oral treatments for breast cancer and discusses common adverse effects and management.
CE Feature: “Assessing Pain, Agitation, and Delirium in Hospitalized Older Adults“
In the acute care setting, pain, agitation, and delirium (PAD) often occur as interrelated parts of a syndrome rather than as separate entities. Because the three facets of PAD may be similar in presentation, it is often difficult for clinicians to recognize the syndrome and to assess and treat it. The challenge is particularly great in older patients. This article provides an overview of each aspect of PAD, discusses clinical considerations related to the assessment and treatment of the syndrome in older adults receiving acute care, and illustrates the application of published PAD guidelines.
Perspectives on Palliative Nursing: “For Advanced Cancer, What Treatment is Next?”
This second installment in a series on palliative care developed in collaboration with the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, discusses how nurses can best serve patients faced with the choice between aggressive treatments and palliative or hospice care.
Ethical Issues: “Determining When an Activity Is or Is Not Research”
In this article, the authors examine the ethical and practical significance of making a distinction between research and not research when using data to identify best practices and improve care.
There’s much more in our October issue, including a Policy & Politics column that discusses health care and the 2016 presidential race, an In the Community article about a hypertension awareness project in Hawaii that taught children to take and record blood pressures, and a Profile of a nurse who advocated for a patient with locked-in syndrome. Click here to browse the table of contents and explore the issue on our Web site.
A note on the cover:
The political cartoon on this month’s cover, created by two-time Pulitzer Prize–winning editorial cartoonist David Horsey, is a commentary on the contentious circumstances leading up to the 2016 presidential election. Election Day is Tuesday, November 8: visit www.usa.gov/voting for information on how and where to vote.
Comments are moderated before approval, but always welcome.