“Nursing goes beyond measurable outcomes; it extends to the relationships between nursing staff and patients and their families that help them to adjust to their new normal.”—Andrew Dwight Reed, author of the April Reflections column, “A New Normal“

In case you’d like a break from 24/7 news of COVID-19 and want to keep up with some other nursing and health care topics, the April issue of AJN is now live. Here are the highlights:

Original Research: An Investigation of Career Choice Regret Among American Nurses

The authors surveyed a random sample of American Nurses Association members to find out the extent of career choice regret among U.S. nurses and whether burnout is an independent predictor.

CE: Acute Care for Patients with Dementia

This article describes the unique care needs of hospitalized patients
with dementia, highlighting evidence-based strategies and person-centered care principles nurses can incorporate into practice.

Environments and Health: Reducing Waste and Increasing Sustainability in Health Care Settings

The authors discuss the environmental consequences of plastic medical waste—and how nurses can be leaders in changing the way these products are used and disposed of.

In the Community: A Diabetes Screening and Educational Event in Rural Alabama

How a nursing faculty member and a pharmacy resident collaborated to offer free glycated hemoglobin testing and diabetes counseling at a local community festival.

There’s much more in our April issue, including:

  • A Transitions article on becoming an independent nurse consultant.
  • A Profile of Dwayne Dobschuetz, a Chicago NP who makes house calls to seniors—on bike.
  • A What I’m Reading book review of Susan Reverby’s Ordered to Care: The Dilemma
    of American Nursing, 1850–1945.

Click here to browse the table of contents and explore the issue on our website.

A note on the cover:

On this month’s cover, nurse Autumn Small adjusts an IV infusion pump for an 18-year-old patient at the University of California San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. At the time this photo was taken, the patient, Patrick McGill, was undergoing treatment for a rare form of cancer. We chose this photo as part of our ongoing recognition of 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.