The August issue of AJN is now live. Here are some articles we’d like to bring to your attention.

CE Feature: Tuberculosis: A New Screening Recommendation and an Expanded Approach to Elimination in the United States

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently issued a new recommendation statement on latent tuberculosis infection testing that expands nurses’ opportunities to identify at-risk populations for tuberculosis prevention. This article provides a general overview of tuberculosis transmission, pathogenesis, and epidemiology; presents pre­ventive care recommendations for targeted testing among high-risk groups; and discusses the USPSTF rec­ommendation’s applicability to public health and primary care practice in the United States.

CE Feature: Beyond Maternity Nursing: The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is a program developed by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund to promote breastfeeding in hospitals and birthing facilities worldwide. Since the program was launched in 1991, breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity have increased globally, a trend largely attributed to changes in hospital policies and practices brought about by the BFHI. This article provides an overview of these practices and policies, the insti­tutional benefits of achieving BFHI certification, and the process through which health care facilities can do so.

Original Research: The Effects of Red Yeast Rice Supplementation on Cholesterol Levels in Adults

Red yeast rice supplementation has become an increasingly popular alternative to statin therapy in treat­ing hypercholesterolemia. This state-of-the-science review seeks to explore the most recent evidence on the effectiveness and safety of red yeast rice supplementation in treating dyslipidemic adults.

Special Feature: Good Nursing Is Good Antibiotic Stewardship

In light of the dramatic increase in antibiotic resistance in the United States, this article reviews antimicrobial stewardship activities that can be performed by nurses and illustrates how nurses are essential to the appropriate use of antibiotics.

There’s much more in our August issue, including an AJN Reports on LGBT older adults in long-term care and an Emerging Infections column on preventing enteric infections from contact with animals. 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, a mother and her newborn share skin-to-skin contact. This form of bonding shortly after birth can help initiate early breastfeeding, and, according to the World Health Organization, can increase both the likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding for one to four months and the overall duration of breastfeeding.