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If Nurses Aged in Reverse

“No—no!” shrieked my 95-year-old patient with dementia as I turned her to her side with the help of my nursing assistant (now called a patient care tech, 30 years later).

The three daughters sitting at her bedside inhaled deeply, their eyes wide. I looked over at them, calmly explaining that their mom was just frightened, and then in a soft voice said to my patient, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Smith, we won’t let you fall,” as she continued to scream. We positioned pillows against her back, and another between her knees. As we saw the family relax, and the patient’s screams turn to a barely audible whimper, I caressed her back and felt satisfied that all was well.

Fast-forward to my retirement. Having inherited my parents’ degenerative joint disease, at age 72 I have certain specific ways to sleep so that my left shoulder doesn’t hurt, my left hip bursitis doesn’t flare, and my right arm doesn’t get numb and tingly from a pillow that’s too puffy, causing hyperflexion of my cervical vertebrae.

Never assume what the patient’s feeling.

I have flashbacks from the days I thought I was an efficient nurse—I dread having someone, someday, assume that I am just frightened in their attempts to keep me on a turning schedule to prevent pressure ulcers. […]

2021-08-30T14:19:59-04:00August 30th, 2021|patient experience, Patients|1 Comment
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Food Allergies and COVID-19 Vaccine Facts

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Life with food allergies (FAs), as with any chronic condition, adds layers of complexity to decisions. As nurses with experience caring for children with FA in our families or in our practices, we understand that choosing COVID vaccination can be a tough decision for some, but are heartened by the overall safety and effectiveness of the vaccines to date.

Rapid access to information (and misinformation) on social media can complicate the vaccine decision-making process. The United States Surgeon General recently called on health care professionals, including nurses, to “take the time to understand each patient’s knowledge, beliefs, and values. Listen with empathy, and when possible, correct misinformation in personalized ways.” As nurses caring for patients who are among the estimated 30 million people with food allergies in the US, you can help patients to make an informed and timely decision.

Concerning data about COVID in children and young adults.

About half of the US population is fully vaccinated, though statistics vary by age group, leaving those who cannot receive a vaccine at great risk. Infection with the Delta variant suggests increased transmissibility and more infections in the unvaccinated, including children and young adults.

To underscore the ongoing need for vaccination […]

2021-08-17T06:54:02-04:00August 17th, 2021|Nursing|0 Comments
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Understanding Imposter Syndrome Among Nurses

Photo by Elina Krima/Pexels

The self-doubt began when I applied for nursing school. I’d think, “What makes you think you should have this sort of responsibility?” or “I can’t possibly do this— everyone says nursing school is so hard.” I’d been accepted into two different programs, but this only heightened my suspicion that there had been some mistake. I worried that once I was in school people would realize that I didn’t belong there.

These beliefs were hard to shake. I thought I was the only one with such doubts, but it turns out that I’m not alone and this phenomenon has a name. Imposter syndrome (IS) is the feeling of being a fraud. It often affects women and minorities, and it tends to occur at times of career transitions and in high-achieving individuals. Nurses can be particularly affected.

What is it?

In 1978, Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes published their study on what they called the imposter phenomenon. Now commonly called imposter syndrome, it is described as having deep feelings of unworthiness and doubt of one’s capabilities, coupled with the fear of being “found out” or exposed as a fraud. It’s accompanied by an inability to acknowledge one’s accomplishments.

People with IS are […]

2021-08-14T12:24:25-04:00August 11th, 2021|Nursing|1 Comment
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A Proposal to Ensure Patients Don’t Fall Through the Cracks

As a retired RN who was certified in medical-surgical nursing, I remember the goals of the hourly rounding policy. Our patients were reassured to find out that staff would check on them every hour at a minimum for any needs they might have, and families could rest easy knowing their loved ones would not be ignored. Hourly rounding also helped prevent a patient from falling through the cracks on a busy shift—always my biggest fear, and one that would keep me up at night.

Obstacles to hourly rounding in acute care.

I also remember the challenges to this policy. Because in hospitals we are dealing with humans and not machines, unlike in factories, there are countless variables to sabotage our best efforts. Everyone has heard the line from the Robert Burns poem, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

The patient variables are unique to each primary nurse and her patient care technician (PCT) who have a plan to alternate rounding on those in their care: the patient who codes, the hemorrhaging post-op patient, the incontinent patient, and the cancer patient with intractable pain. The list is endless—situations that keep the primary nurse or PCT tied up in a room during their turn to do hourly rounds.

Some hospitals may have instituted tracking […]

2021-07-15T10:28:41-04:00July 15th, 2021|Nursing|0 Comments
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Demystifying Clinical Research: A Series for Nurses Breaks It Down

No matter where you are working as a nurse, research is impacting the work you do. The articles in our two Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) series (the EBP Step by Step series and the EBP 2.0 series) remain some of the most-read AJN articles. However, you can’t develop or implement EBP projects without reading and understanding research articles.

Like learning a foreign language.

Clinical research can be intimidating for those not familiar with it. I liken it to learning a foreign language. And as with learning a new language, it makes sense to start at the basics and build your vocabulary as you go. Our latest series, Nursing Research, Step by Step, “is designed to give nurses the knowledge and skills they need to participate in research, step by step.” […]

2021-06-24T11:27:57-04:00June 24th, 2021|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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