Diane Szulecki, editor, Author at Off the Charts

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 […]

Diane Szulecki, editor2018-04-27T09:18:27-04:00April 27th, 2018|Nursing|0 Comments

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

Diane Szulecki, editor2018-04-02T09:22:34-04:00April 2nd, 2018|Nursing|0 Comments

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.
[…]

Diane Szulecki, editor2018-02-23T09:00:42-05:00February 23rd, 2018|Nursing|0 Comments

Will Millennials Stave Off a Threatened Nursing Shortage? Hard to Say

Photo © Cultura Creative (RF) / Alamy Stock Photo.

The aging of the baby boom generation means that a large proportion of the U.S. population will soon be living with health conditions that may require complex care. At the same time, it’s estimated that a million nurses will retire by 2030, resulting in an enormous loss of experience and knowledge, not to mention the possibility of a national nursing shortage.

Millennials to the rescue? It’s complicated.

Can millennial nurses help mitigate the effects of this workforce shift? As discussed in our February AJN Reports, “Nurses Pass the Baton: Exit Baby Boomers, Enter Millennials,” millennials (born between 1982 and 2000) are becoming nurses in larger numbers than any generation before them. In fact, the nursing workforce is expected to grow by 36% between 2015 and 2030.

Why this surge of millennials? Commentators have speculated that those who reached adulthood during the recent recession may be drawn to the relative job security of the nursing profession, or that this generation […]

Diane Szulecki, editor2018-02-16T08:42:08-05:00February 16th, 2018|career, Nursing, nursing career|0 Comments

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 study examines […]

Diane Szulecki, editor2018-01-26T09:32:47-05:00January 26th, 2018|Nursing|0 Comments

About Diane Szulecki, editor

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Millennials to the rescue? It’s complicated.

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