AJN’s May issue is now available on our Web site. Here’s a selection of what not to miss.
Coronary heart disease afflicts more than 16 million American adults. Myocardial revascularization has long been considered an effective treatment for this disease. Findings presented in our May original research article, “Telephone Follow-Up for Patients After Myocardial Revascularization: A Systematic Review,” support the use of telephone follow-up intervention after hospital discharge to assess patient knowledge, discuss patient concerns, and encourage behavioral and lifestyle changes. This article can earn you 2.6 continuing education (CE) credits.
Recently, there’s been a shift toward less invasive or noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring methods, and the use of “functional” indicators that more accurately predict fluid responsiveness. “Using Functional Hemodynamic Indicators to Guide Fluid Therapy,” a CE article that can earn you 2.6 credits, reviews the physiologic principles of functional hemodynamic indicators, describes how these indicators are calculated, and discusses when and how nurses can use them to guide fluid resuscitation in critically ill patients.
Celebrating Nurses Week. May’s In Our Community article describes how nurses from one hospital decided to forego traditional gifts during National Nurses Week and instead implemented a “Nurses Give Back” program in their community. How does your hospital celebrate? If you’re reading AJN on your iPad, you can listen to a podcast interview with the authors by clicking on the podcast icon on the first page of the article. The podcast is also available on our Web site.
Finally, is it ever okay to tell patients about staffing levels? In our Ethical Issues article, nurse ethicist Douglas P. Olsen outlines when it’s right to share sensitive information with patients, and when it’s better not to.
There’s plenty more in this issue, so stop by and have a look. Tell us what you think on Facebook, or here on our blog.
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