“I didn’t really know what to do . . . . This happened to other people’s families, not mine. I was supposed to be reading the monitors and titrating the drips. I was supposed to be taking care of the patient. I was supposed to be comforting the family. I was the nurse.” —Tonja Padgett, author of this month’s Reflections essay, “The Crazy Aunt or the Nurse“

The August issue of AJN is now live. Here are some of the articles we’re pleased to have a chance to publish this month.

CE: Original Research: Pain in Nonverbal Children with Medical Complexity: A Two-Year Retrospective Study

Children with medically complex conditions often experience pain, but in the absence of self-report, assessing pain can be challenging. The authors of this article sought to describe the signs and symptoms parents of such children find worrisome, the sources of pain in these children, and how to best assess their pain.

CE: A Review of the Revised Sepsis Care Bundles

An update on recent revisions to the sepsis care guidelines, including development of the new one-hour bundle, plus screening and assessment tools to identify sepsis in the ICU, in the ED, on the medical–surgical unit, and outside the hospital.

Environments and Health: Nursing Practice and Particulate Matter Exposure

Both indoor and outdoor particulate matter pollution are risk factors for reduced quality of life and death. Using a case study of one patient’s experiences with asthma and multiple comorbidities, the authors provide an overview of particulate matter exposure and health, and management strategies for practice.

Transitions: Retired Nurse Volunteers

Retaining the wisdom of experienced clinicians is becoming an challenge as baby boomers retire. This article describes the benefits of utilizing retired nurses to complement existing hospital staff and offers recommendations for setting up an effective program.

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

  • A Policy and Politics health care policy update on new Medicaid work requirements, the drug cost crisis, threats to preexisting condition protections, and more.
  • An AJN Reports on the workings of the nursing home industry.
  • An Emerging Infections column on multidrug-resistant organisms and contact precautions.

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 smokestack billows thick clouds of smoke near a playground at Sterling State Park in Monroe, Michigan. Smokestacks like this one are common sources of particulate matter—airborne particles that can present significant health risks when inhaled, including respiratory problems, circulatory diseases, and cancer. These risks are discussed in the Environments and Health article mentioned above.