About Diane Szulecki, editor

Editor, American Journal of Nursing

AJN in October: Nursing Student Errors, Septic Shock Resuscitation, the Ethics of Workarounds, More

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

CE: Original Research: Exploring How Nursing Schools Handle Student Errors and Near Misses

The authors investigate nursing school policies and practices for reporting and tracking student errors and near misses. The first part of a two-part series.

CE: Assessing Patients During Septic Shock Resuscitation

How to integrate capillary refill time and skin mottling score into the perfusion reassessment after initial fluid resuscitation—as recommended by revisions to the Surviving Sepsis Campaign six-hour bundle.

Obesity and Sexual Dysfunction: Making the Connection

Obesity affects patients’ general health, but does it affect their sexuality? A review of the evidence on obesity and sexual functioning, plus nursing considerations for addressing weight-loss strategies with patients.

Workarounds Are Routinely Used By Nurses—But Are They Ethical?

How nurses can be creative problem solvers without resorting to workarounds that may be ethical in intent yet potentially harmful in their consequences.

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2017-09-29T08:30:14-04:00September 29th, 2017|Nursing|0 Comments
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How Long Should Routine Health Screening Continue in Older Adults?

Photo by Johner Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Communicating to older patients that routine screening tests are no longer recommended can prove difficult. Recent research, however, offers guidance on how nurses and other clinicians should approach such conversations.

As we report in a September news article, a study focused on cancer screening found that older adults unlikely to benefit from certain tests were receptive to recommendations to stop screening, with a caveat: they preferred that life expectancy not be a part of the conversation.

The study’s accompanying editorial notes that broaching the topic of life expectancy can turn a discussion about maintaining health into an unexpected discussion about the end of life, which “may be a shock in the primary care setting at a routine visit.” The authors of the study recommend changing the language used in these conversations—for example, saying “This test would not help you live longer” instead of referring to “life expectancy.” […]

2017-09-06T09:21:09-04:00September 6th, 2017|Nursing, patient engagement|1 Comment
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AJN September Issue: Family Caregivers and Alzheimer’s, Older Adults and Driving, C. Diff. Prevention, More

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

CE: Original Research: The Experience of Transitioning to a Caregiving Role for a Family Member with Alzheimer’s Disease or Related Dementia

This qualitative study explores the experiences of people who transitioned to the role of caregiver for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. Vivid interview excerpts illuminate the inner struggles caregivers may experience as they navigate a radically changed existence as well as the strategies that have helped them find their way.

CE: Can Your Older Patients Drive Safely?

Many older Americans depend on their cars for independence and connection to the outside world. What are the driving risks associated with advanced age? What behaviors and situations put older drivers at greatest risk, and what are the key indicators of an older patient’s ability to drive safely? Nurses are in a position to raise patients’ awareness of these risks and inform them about transportation alternatives.

Six Things You Can Do Today to Prevent Hospital-Onset C. Difficile Tomorrow

What changes can you make in your practice to prevent transmission of this common bacterial infection?

Lessons Learned from Litigation: Legal […]

2017-08-25T09:03:28-04:00August 25th, 2017|Nursing|0 Comments
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U.S. Life Expectancy Varies Depending on County of Birth

image via Wikimedia Commons / Wapcaplet

A new study that compared life expectancy by county from 1980 to 2014 has shed light on geographic disparities, which have been increasing over the past 35 years. One of the study’s major findings, as we report in an August news article, is that the difference in life expectancy between the U.S. county with the highest life expectancy and the one with the lowest is 20.1 years.

The counties with the lowest life expectancies include several in North Dakota and South Dakota (in particular, those with Native American communities), and counties along the lower half of the Mississippi River and in Kentucky and West Virginia. Meanwhile, counties in central Colorado have the highest life expectancies.

While national life expectancy increased from 73.8 years to 79.1 years during the study period, the researchers noted regional inequalities in this improvement: some counties in the South experienced little to no improvement in life expectancy, while others on both coasts and in Colorado and Alaska saw large increases. They also found that geographic differences in life expectancy decreased for children and adolescents but increased for adults—especially for those ages 65 to 85 years. […]

2017-08-11T09:04:39-04:00August 11th, 2017|Nursing|0 Comments
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August Issue Highlights: TB Screening, The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, Antibiotic Stewardship, More

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:

2017-07-28T09:41:48-04:00July 28th, 2017|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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