‘Brain Rot’ in Nursing Students: And Other September Issue Highlights

The September issue of AJN is now live.

Here are some highlights. Some articles are open access or temporarily free; others will require log-in for access.

The painting on this month’s cover evokes the power of the mind. It’s a nod to “AI Dependency and Brain Rot Among Nursing Students: A Mixed-Methods Study,” in which Sağlam and Kalanlar surveyed and interviewed undergraduate nursing students to explore the relationship between excessive use of AI tools and “brain rot,” or cognitive deterioration associated with overconsumption of digital technologies and online content. The authors note that the concept of brain rot “remains largely unrecognized by nursing academia, despite its potential to influence cognitive, emotional, and behavioral domains.”

Pediatric fractures are a common reason for ED visits, yet distinguishing accidental injuries from those caused by physical abuse remains a complex clinical challenge. The September CE article, “Beyond the Spiral: Identifying Abuse-Related Pediatric Fractures,” clarifies common misconceptions, such as that all spiral fractures are inherently suspicious, by situating them within the broader evidence base related to pediatric orthopedic injury.

The latest article in our Evidence-Based Decision-Making Series, “Dissemination: Sharing the Story,” presents dissemination as a core competency for DNP students and shows how dissemination can be intentionally integrated across all phases of the DNP project, rather than relegated to a single end-of-program activity.

The authors of “Factors Influencing Postoperative Urinary Incontinence in Prostate Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study” aimed to elucidate the prevalence and determinants of post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence in patients with prostate cancer and to construct a risk prediction model for postoperative urinary incontinence. (Open access)   

Finally, don’t miss the extensive health care news section, the Drug Watch and Journal Watch departments, a Quality Improvement article on standardizing transradial compression band deflation and documentation, and a Focus on DEI column on language equity in health care.

Browse and subscribe.

You can subscribe to AJN, America’s oldest (125 years and counting) general interest nursing journal, for just $52.00 for a year (12 issues), whether for yourself or as a gift. AJN stands out from other nursing journals for the variety and timeliness of its content, the rigor of its review and editing, and the continuing attention to appearance, including covers that often feature original and vivid artwork and illustrations. Visit us online at https://www.ovid.com/jnls/ajnonline. (Interested in writing for this blog, AJN Off the Charts? Learn more.)