Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor, Author at Off the Charts

Feel the Power (What Nursing Can Learn from the Dancing Man)

By Shawn Kennedy, AJN editor-in-chief—Writing in a recent blog post on NursingTimes.net (a UK-based site), Mark Radcliffe poses this question:

“Do you, as a nurse, feel you have any collective power to influence policy? Are we as well versed as other professional groups in articulating loudly and clearly why nursing needs to be the foundation stone of any health service?”

I thought it was a good question for us here in the United States. Most U.S. nursing associations, nurse executives, and deans are invested in politics. The recent Institute of Medicine Report on the Future of Nursing is the most recent example of how nursing is collectively trying to influence health policy.

But I still wonder how many nurses involved in direct care feel that the politics of health is something they need to pay attention to. It seems that it’s only when it becomes part of the job, directly affects one’s ability to perform a job, or has an impact on one’s financial well-being that many people get involved.

When I was a young nurse, I and many in my cohort didn’t pay attention to things like politics or getting involved in associations. We were new and intent on acquiring skills and becoming competent in our jobs, and politics seemed esoteric and something we needn’t be concerned about.

But within two years, I found myself in court on a workmen’s compensation claim for an illness I’d contracted from a patient. I was going to be out of work for four to six […]

Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2016-11-21T13:12:29-05:00July 5th, 2011|career, nursing perspective|1 Comment

Sexual Predators Online: Where Do They Intersect With Adolescents and Young Adults?

Here are some of the results described in “Online Social Networking Patterns Among Adolescents, Young Adults, and Sexual Offenders,” an original research article published in the July issue of AJN:

nearly two-thirds of Internet offenders said they’d initiated the topic of sex in their first chat session; more than half . . . disguised their identity when online; most . . . preferred communicating with teenage girls rather than teenage boys; high school students’ experience with “sexting” . . . differed significantly according to their sex; a small number of students are being threatened and assaulted by people they meet online; avatar sites such as Second Life were used both by students and offenders . . . .

What’s your own experience? Have a look at the article, and pass along the link if you find it useful, as a parent or nurse. Have you heard any concerns about Internet safety from parents or adolescents you encounter in your own practice or community? What’s your own take on Facebook and privacy, or any other issue raised in this article?—JM, senior editor

Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2016-11-21T13:12:30-05:00June 30th, 2011|healthcare social media, nursing research|0 Comments

If the Patient Doesn’t Understand the Treatment: New Essay by Theresa Brown

Ben’s inability to understand even the basics of his situation, combined with his lack of family support, made it seem that we were in effect imprisoning him and torturing him.

That’s an excerpt from the Reflections essay in the June issue of AJN. By Theresa Brown, a nurse who regularly writes for the New York Times “Well” blog, “Right Treatment, Right Patient?” explores the ethics and emotions involved in providing an unpleasant but potentially life-saving treatment to a patient who can’t understand what’s being done to him (click through to the PDF for the best version).

We hope you’ll read it through and let us know if you’ve ever faced a similar ethical quandary as a health care professional (or, for that matter, as a family member or patient).—JM, senior editor

Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2016-11-21T13:12:31-05:00June 27th, 2011|nursing perspective|0 Comments

It’s Nice to Be Recognized: The 2011 Magnum Opus Awards

We can’t help but crow a little and share our good news. AJN has been recognized by the 2011 Magnum Opus Awards for custom-publishing editorial excellence—sponsored by ContentWise and the Content Marketing Institute and judged by professors from the Missouri School of Journalism and leading custom-publishing professionals—in the following three categories:

Gold – Best Blog Entry
“No Country for Old Women”
Amy M. Collins, September 22, 2010

Silver – Best Signed Editorial or Essay
“No Time for Complacency in AIDS Prevention”
Shawn Kennedy, March 2010

Honorable Mention – Best Sidebar
“Men Get Breast Cancer, Too”
Amy M. Collins, October 2010

The AJN staff works hard to produce editorial content that will inspire, engage, and inform our readers. Our mission is to promote excellence in nursing and health care through the dissemination of evidence-based, peer-reviewed clinical information and original research, discussion of relevant and controversial professional issues, adherence to the standards of journalistic integrity and excellence, and promotion of nursing perspectives to the health care community and the public.

The Magnum Opus awards focus on publications in many different industries, not just health care. Competing against other industries and being recognized as winners in an award like this fuels us to work even harder. We appreciate the acknowledgment and thank everyone involved in creating and delivering such excellent work. The work doesn’t stop here!—Amanda Geer, administrative coordinator

Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2016-11-21T13:12:34-05:00June 22nd, 2011|Nursing|1 Comment

Making Homes Safer

By Shawn Kennedy, AJN editor-in-chief—The Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment suggests five actions for parents to follow to reduce their children’s exposure to environmental hazards at home. While the recommendations are not really new, it’s worth reminding parents of young children and women who are pregnant or contemplating pregnancy to be mindful of potential hazards from common household substances. Here are the recommendations (you can download the free brochure):

Minimize dust in the air (which may contain minute lead particles) by frequent vacuuming and by using a damp cloth when cleaning.

Use nontoxic cleaners (baking soda or vinegar and water are recommended as ‘green’ cleaners, and a number of commercial products without harmful chemicals are now available) and avoid antibacterial soap and items with added fragrances to minimize exposure to chemicals.

Seal off areas undergoing renovation to avoid dust and fumes. Caution women who are pregnant and young children to avoid the area.

Minimize exposure to plastic to avoid exposures to bisphenol A (BPA) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Avoid storing food in plastic (glass or ceramics are recommended) or microwaving food that’s in plastic containers or covered with plastic wrap; discard soft plastic toys that contain vinyl or PVC that might be used by or come into contact with infants and children.