About Diane Szulecki, editor

Editor, American Journal of Nursing

February Issue: Updated Sepsis Guidelines, Chinese American Immigrants and Diabetes, Improving OR–ICU Handovers, More

The February 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: Physical Activity Among Chinese American Immigrants with Prediabetes or Type 2 Diabetes

The benefits of exercise for patients with type 2 diabetes have been studied extensively, but not among Chinese American immigrants diagnosed with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. The authors of this mixed-methods study analyzed this population’s levels of exercise intensity, examining the types of activity performed, as well as the barriers to such activity.

CE: Managing Sepsis and Septic Shock: Current Guidelines and Definitions

This article discusses recent updates to the Surviving Sepsis Campaign’s sepsis treatment guidelines, changes in the sepsis bundle interventions, and the new definitions and predictive tools introduced in the Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock.

Moving Closer to the 2020 BSN-Prepared Workforce Goal

The authors report findings from the four-year Academic Progression in Nursing initiative to identify and develop the most promising strategies for creating a more highly educated nursing workforce.

Cultivating Quality: A Multidisciplinary QI Initiative to Improve OR–ICU Handovers

This QI […]

2018-01-26T09:32:47-05:00January 26th, 2018|Nursing|0 Comments
Read More

January Issue: Managing Post-Op Pain, Head and Neck Cancer Symptom Management, Predatory Journals, More

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

CE: Oral Care for Head and Neck Cancer Symptom Management

The authors describe an evidence-based practice change at a radiation oncology center designed to reduce the severity of oral mucositis in adults receiving radiation treatment for head and neck cancer.

CE: Managing Postoperative Pain

This article reviews the recommendations of the American Pain Society’s postoperative pain management guideline and discusses its historical context and the current events that may affect its implementation in clinical practice.

Original Research: Increasing the Connectivity and Autonomy of RNs with Low-Risk Obstetric Patients

A qualitative study explores the perspectives of patients, RNs, certified nurse midwives, and other providers regarding a new prenatal connected care model aimed at reducing in-office visits and creating virtual patient–RN connections.

Predatory Journals: Alerting Nurses to Potentially Unreliable Content

Nurse authors and readers need to know about the harmful online phenomenon of predatory journals and understand how to identify and avoid the unreliable content published in these journals. […]

2017-12-29T11:18:42-05:00December 29th, 2017|Nursing|0 Comments
Read More

Emotional and Physical Health Consequences for Children of Jailed Parents

Michael Coghlan/Flickr

In the United States, more than half (54%) of all prison inmates are parents with minor children. As we discuss in the December AJN Reports, those children—an estimated 2.7 million, or one in 28—face physical and emotional health challenges that often go overlooked, including:

  • obesity, asthma, migraines, and hypertension
  • depression, anxiety, PTSD, and problems at school, including a higher likelihood of being expelled or suspended

Additionally, children with incarcerated parents are at an economic disadvantage due to lowered family income caused by the parent’s absence, and are more likely to experience racial discrimination, parental divorce or separation, a parent’s death, domestic abuse, neighborhood violence, and coresidence with a mentally ill or suicidal person or with a person who has a substance abuse problem. […]

2017-12-15T08:29:46-05:00December 15th, 2017|Patients|2 Comments
Read More

AJN in December: Vascular Access Certification, Pressure Injuries from Medical Devices, More

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

CE: Original Research: Does Certification in Vascular Access Matter? An Analysis of the PICC1 Survey

Although certification by an accredited agency is often a practice prerequisite in health care, it is not required of vascular access specialists who insert peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs). The authors of this study explored whether and how certified and noncertified PICC inserters differ regarding their practices and views about PICC use.

CE: Pressure Injuries Caused by Medical Devices and Other Objects: A Clinical Update

A review of the etiology, identification, and prevention of pressure injuries caused by medical and other devices, plus highlights from the current National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel clinical guidelines.

Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone: Teaching Family Caregivers to Assist Safely with Mobility

Information nurses can use to educate family caregivers on mobility issues, including a tear sheet of key points and links to instructional videos. This is the first article in a new series published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute. […]

2017-11-27T09:12:37-05:00November 27th, 2017|Nursing|0 Comments
Read More

A Closer Look at the Joint Commission’s New Guidelines for Pain Assessment and Management

Photo © Burger / Phanie / Science Photo Library.

Starting on January 1, 2018, the Joint Commission’s new and revised pain assessment and management standards for accredited hospitals will go into effect. Notably, the guidelines—as we report in a November news article—address safe opioid prescribing practices.

Among new requirements, the Joint Commission says hospitals should:

  • Designate a leader or team responsible for pain management and safe opioid prescribing.
  • Include patients in developing a pain management treatment plan—including realistic expectations and measurable goals—and educate them on discharge plans related to opioid adverse effects and safe use, storage, and disposal of opioids.
  • Use prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) databases to identify patients at risk for opioid addiction.
  • Identify opioid addiction treatment programs for patient referrals.
  • Inform staff about consultation and referral services available for patients with complex pain management needs.
  • Collect and analyze data on pain assessment and management to identify areas in which safety and quality could be improved.

The full list of new and revised guidelines is available here. How might these changes affect life for nurses and patients? Comments are welcome below.

2017-12-13T15:23:52-05:00November 17th, 2017|Nursing, pain management, patient experience|8 Comments
Read More

Comment ground rules

1. Please be respectful.
2. We moderate all comments.

Content disclaimer

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.
Go to Top