About Diane Szulecki, editor

Editor, American Journal of Nursing

AJN December Issue News: Prescription Drug Costs, Infant Simulators and Teen Pregnancy, More

AJN’s monthly news section covers timely and important research and policy stories that are relevant to the nursing world. Here are some of the stories you’ll find in our current issue:

Frank Scavo refused to pay exorbitant prices for an EpiPen, and was hospitalized in August following a severe allergic reaction. Photo © Associated Press.

The High Cost of Prescription Drugs in America

In the past year, the prices of some prescription drugs have skyrocketed–the cost of an EpiPen two-pack, for example, jumped from $100 to more than $600. The reasons for the price hikes are complex, but major culprits include market exclusivity and the ability of drug companies to set prices.

New Patient Safety Requirements Toughen Nurse Licensure […]

2016-12-09T09:11:41-05:00December 9th, 2016|Nursing|0 Comments
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AJN in December: Lifestyle Factors and Metabolic Syndrome, Contrast-Induced Kidney Injury, Pearl Harbor Nurses, More

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

CE Feature: “Original Research: Examining the Links Between Lifestyle Factors and Metabolic Syndrome”

In 2008, according to the World Health Organization, more than 1.4 billion adults were overweight and more than half a billion were obese, and those numbers have likely increased since these data were reported. The authors of this study examined lifestyle risk factors for metabolic syndrome—such as dietary and exercise habits—in people who are overweight or obese, aiming to distinguish those lifestyle factors associated with metabolic health in this population.

CE Feature: “Preventing Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury”

Diagnostic radiographic imaging scans using intravascular iodinated contrast media can lead to various complications. The most salient of these is contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) or contrastinduced nephropathy, a potentially costly and serious patient safety concern. In order to ensure safe, high-quality care, nurses must be involved in efforts to prevent CI-AKI as well as interventions that minimize patients’ risk of kidney injury. This article provides an evidence-based review of screening, risk assessment, and hydration protocols for the clinical management of patients receiving contrast agents for radiographic imaging studies.

Supporting Family Caregivers: “Administration of […]

2016-11-28T09:42:20-05:00November 28th, 2016|Nursing|0 Comments
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AJN November Issue News: Maternal Mortality, Nurses’ Salaries, Double Mastectomy, More

AJN’s monthly news section covers timely and important research and policy stories that are relevant to the nursing world. Here are some of the stories you’ll find in our current issue (news articles in AJN are free access):

Photo by Dennis MacDonald / Alamy Stock Photo. Photo by Dennis MacDonald / Alamy Stock Photo.

Maternal Mortality in U.S. on the Rise

In 48 states and the District of Columbia, the maternal mortality rate increased by 26.6% between 2000 and 2014. (Texas was analyzed separately; its rate doubled between 2010 and 2012.) California–which saw a decline in maternal deaths–was the exception. While there’s no clear cause for the increase, researchers have several ideas about factors that may have prompted it.

Salaries for Nurses Decrease, While NP Salaries Rise

According to a survey of 20,000 health care workers, compensation for nurses decreased 3.1% between 2015 and 2016; NPs reported a […]

2016-11-21T13:00:49-05:00November 9th, 2016|Nursing|0 Comments
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AJN in November: Skin Tears, Veteran Women’s Mental Health, Supporting Family Caregivers, More

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

ajn1116-cover-onlineCE Feature: “Preventing, Assessing, and Managing Skin Tears: A Clinical Review”

Although skin tears are common, particularly among older adults and neonates, they are often inadequately documented and poorly managed, resulting in complications, extended hospital stays, and negative patient outcomes. In this article, the first in a series on wound care in collaboration with the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists, the authors describe the complications that developed in an elderly patient whose skin tear was improperly dressed and discuss best practices for preventing, assessing, documenting, and managing skin tears.

CE Feature: “Veteran Women: Mental Health–Related Consequences of Military Service”

The last two decades have seen increasing numbers of women entering all branches of the U.S. armed forces. Many are exposed to traumatic events that place them at higher risk for mental health conditions. It’s essential for all nurses to be knowledgeable about the mental health issues commonly seen in this population. The author of this article reviews research confirming that both active-duty and veteran women are at increased risk for postdeployment mental health problems, including posttraumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma, and suicide—and also addresses the nursing practice […]

2016-11-21T13:00:52-05:00October 28th, 2016|Nursing|0 Comments
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‘She’s Alive Because Of You’: A Nurse’s Advocacy Pays Off

Katie L. George, DNP, RN, AG-ACNP, CCRN. Photo courtesy of Katie L. George. Katie L. George, DNP, RN, AG-ACNP, CCRN

While attending this year’s American Association of Critical-Care Nurses National Teaching Institute meeting, AJN editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy heard a story that she felt all nurses needed to hear as a reminder of the impact a nurse’s advocacy can have on a patient.

Critical care nurse Katie George, just a few years into her career when the events in the story took place, was caring for Ms. A., a young woman whose spinal cord had been nearly severed in a car accident.

Faced with a prognosis suggesting that Ms. A.’s quality of life would be poor and that she would have to remain on a ventilator, Ms. A.’s family made what they felt was the humane decision to have her removed from life support. But Ms. A.’s fiancé—and her nurse Katie George—were convinced that Ms. A., who seemed to be able to communicate by blinking in response to questions, should at least be given the chance to make the decision for herself.

Ms. A. was suffering from locked-in syndrome, a condition in which the patient is conscious and eye […]

2016-11-21T13:00:53-05:00October 20th, 2016|Nursing, nursing perspective, patient experience|1 Comment
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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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