About Diane Szulecki, editor

Editor, American Journal of Nursing

June Issue: Hearing-Impairment and Hospitalization, Gaucher Disease, an Early Mobility Protocol, Giving and Getting Report, More

“The problem is the insidious way personal smartphones divert and fracture our attention. If you don’t take work home with you, why is it okay to bring home to work?” —Kathleen Bartholomew, MN, RN, author of this month’s Viewpoint

The June 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: Understanding the Hospital Experience of Older Adults with Hearing Impairment

Older hospitalized adults with hearing impairment may be labeled confused, experience heightened fear and anxiety, or misunderstand the plan of care. This qualitative study assessed the hospital experience of hearing-impaired patients in order to formulate suggestions for improving nursing care.

CE: Understanding the Nurse’s Role in Managing Gaucher Disease

The author discusses the epidemiology and pathophysiology of Gaucher disease—a lysosomal storage disorder that can affect the spleen, liver, bones, bone marrow, and central nervous system—as well as recent advances in screening, diagnosis, and management.

Cultivating Quality: The Benefits of Implementing an Early Mobility Protocol in Postoperative Neurosurgical Spine Patients

The authors present their quality improvement initiative to establish an NP-led early mobility protocol aimed at reducing uncomplicated postsurgical spine patients’ length of hospital stay and […]

2018-05-25T08:48:44-04:00May 25th, 2018|Nursing|0 Comments
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From Staff Nurse to CEO

Regina Cunningham, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, and Kevin Sowers, MSN, RN, FAAN, both started their nursing careers as staff oncology nurses. Today, Cunningham is chief executive officer of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia; Sowers is president of the Johns Hopkins Health System and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.

As they told AJN in our May Profiles article, neither necessarily envisioned themselves as high-level leaders. So how did they get to where they are today, and what can fellow nurses learn from their experiences?

TAKING CHANCES

After getting a master’s degree in nursing administration, and while earning a doctorate, Cunningham (photo at right) worked her way into progressively larger leadership roles within oncology nursing. Her experiences as a nurse manager and a nursing director led her to become the chief nursing officer at a New Jersey cancer center. Then, after serving as senior director for cancer nursing at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, she worked in nursing leadership at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

It was there, when the hospital’s chief nurse retired, that Cunningham took a chance she wasn’t sure about by applying for the […]

2018-05-10T14:55:24-04:00May 9th, 2018|nursing career|1 Comment
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May Issue: Transfusion Therapy, Sustaining Fall Prevention Programs, Nurses’ Role in Assisted Suicide, More

“Nursing students are the future of nursing. Treating them with anything less than respect, support, and nurturing is unacceptable and unprofessional.” —John Burkley, MSN, RN, author of this month’s Viewpoint

The May 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: Exploring Clinicians’ Perceptions About Sustaining an Evidence-Based Fall Prevention Program

Although hospitals have made extensive efforts to reduce patient falls through evidence-based fall prevention programs, sustaining such programs has proven challenging. This qualitative study addresses the knowledge gap between implementing and sustaining evidence-based fall prevention practices for hospitalized patients.

CE: A Review of Current Practice in Transfusion Therapy

The authors review the blood products that are commonly transfused, discuss the potential complications of transfusion—including TACO, TRALI, and TRIM—and outline current recommendations for transfusion therapy.

Special Feature: Assisted Suicide/Aid in Dying: What Is the Nurse’s Role?

This article presents the panel discussion that occurred during a policy dialogue on aid in dying (AID) at the American Academy of Nursing’s annual conference in 2016. The discussion explored the arguments for and against the growing state expansion of AID legislation, and the role of nurses in assisting patients who request […]

2018-04-27T09:18:27-04:00April 27th, 2018|Nursing|0 Comments
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April Issue: Delirium in Hospitalized Children, Lyme Disease Basics, Ostomy Care, More

The April 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: Recognizing Delirium in Hospitalized Children: A Systemic Review of the Evidence on Risk Factors and Characteristics

Among the key findings of this review was that delirium is multifactorial,
related to treatment (such as mechanical ventilation) and to a hospital
environment (such as the pediatric ICU) that deprives patients of normal
sleep–wake cycles and familiar routines.

CE: Lyme Disease: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

The authors describe the clinical features of Lyme disease, the appropriate use of diagnostic tests, the recommended treatment, and evidence-based strategies for preventing tick-borne diseases nurses can share with patients.

Environments and Health: The Great London Smog of 1952

Over five days in December 1952, smog engulfed London, killing up to 12,000 people. This article discusses the disaster’s impact on human health and subsequent pollution legislation—including the U.S. Clean Air Act—and its implications for nurses today, as dangerous air quality events continue and environmental regulations are increasingly under threat.

Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone: Ostomy Care at Home

The authors offer practical guidance, including an informational tear sheet and an instructional

2018-04-02T09:22:34-04:00April 2nd, 2018|Nursing|0 Comments
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March Issue: Oral Intake During Labor, Malnutrition in Older Adults, RN-Performed Lumbar Puncture, More

The March 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: An Investigation into the Safety of Oral Intake During Labor

In this study, the authors compared the maternal and neonatal outcomes among laboring women permitted ad lib oral intake with those permitted nothing by mouth except for ice chips. The findings support relaxing the restrictions on oral intake in cases of uncomplicated labor.

CE: Malnutrition in Older Adults

A review of the many cognitive, psychological, social, and economic factors that can affect the nutritional status of older adults, and how nurses can intervene to prevent and address malnutrition in these patients.

Cultivating Quality: Expanding RN Scope of Practice to Include Lumbar Puncture

A quality improvement initiative enhanced access to neurology services in an ambulatory clinic by teaching nurses to perform lumbar puncture.

Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone: Teaching Wound Care to Family Caregivers

Methods to promote wound healing that nurses can use to teach family caregivers, including a tear sheet of key points and links to instructional videos. This article is one in a series published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute.
[…]

2018-02-23T09:00:42-05:00February 23rd, 2018|Nursing|0 Comments
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Views expressed on the blog are solely those of the authors or persons quoted. They do not necessarily reflect AJN’s views or those of Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
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