Nursing Archives - Page 139 of 406

Promoting Nursing Students’ Ethical Development in the Clinical Setting

Ethics professor discusses high-fidelity patient simulation exercise with student. Photo courtesy of Linda Koharchik.

I once spent an hour in an ambulatory surgery PACU when interviewing for work at the place. A few minutes into my visit, one of the patients awoke in tears. The PACU RN proceeded to slap the woman across the face. An open-handed, full-face slap. “No crying here!” she snapped.

I was floored, and reported the incident to the clinic’s medical director. This nurse not only assaulted a patient, she did so in full view of a visitor (me). I suspect that if, instead, I had been an instructor from their medical center with students in tow, she would not have behaved differently. And would I have responded differently if students were present? Would I have confronted the nurse while other patients were watching, to make clear to the students that willfully harming a patient can never be tolerated?

Approaches to ethical instruction.

In “Promoting Nursing Students’ Ethical Development in the Clinical Setting” (free until December 13) in the November issue of AJN, Linda Koharchik and colleagues discuss the ways in which we can further students’ understanding […]

Betsy Todd, MPH, RN2017-11-29T15:45:34-05:00November 29th, 2017|Nursing|2 Comments

AJN in December: Vascular Access Certification, Pressure Injuries from Medical Devices, More

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

CE: Original Research: Does Certification in Vascular Access Matter? An Analysis of the PICC1 Survey

Although certification by an accredited agency is often a practice prerequisite in health care, it is not required of vascular access specialists who insert peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs). The authors of this study explored whether and how certified and noncertified PICC inserters differ regarding their practices and views about PICC use.

CE: Pressure Injuries Caused by Medical Devices and Other Objects: A Clinical Update

A review of the etiology, identification, and prevention of pressure injuries caused by medical and other devices, plus highlights from the current National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel clinical guidelines.

Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone: Teaching Family Caregivers to Assist Safely with Mobility

Information nurses can use to educate family caregivers on mobility issues, including a tear sheet of key points and links to instructional videos. This is the first article in a new series published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute. […]

Diane Szulecki, editor2017-11-27T09:12:37-05:00November 27th, 2017|Nursing|0 Comments

Sexual Harassment in Nursing: Where Are We Today?

We have a weekly editorial meeting to review current issues and events that we feel are important to bring to nurses’ attention. Given that the headlines are replete with stories about sexual harassment and assault in various settings and workplaces and that nursing is still a profession with far more women than men, we felt this to be an issue of concern.

Before there were policies.

I’m sure many of us can recount experiences, our own or those of colleagues, that qualify as sexual harassment. Many of us may not have recognized it as such—when I began my career, there was no definition or policy that defined sexual harassment or alerted us to our rights if we were faced with inappropriate remarks or behaviors in the workplace. Now that there are requirements for such policies, nurses—men and women alike—should learn what the policies are and processes for reporting such misconduct.

First topic covered on this blog.

We looked to see how we’d covered this previously, and as it happens, the second post we published on this blog, back in February 2009—the one right after the post welcoming readers to AJN‘s new blog—was about the news that a nurse at a hospital in Queens had won a lawsuit for sexual harassment against a doctor and the hospital […]

Shawn Kennedy, MA, RN, FAAN, editor-in-chief (emerita)2017-11-21T08:11:27-05:00November 21st, 2017|Nursing|0 Comments

A Closer Look at the Joint Commission’s New Guidelines for Pain Assessment and Management

Photo © Burger / Phanie / Science Photo Library.

Starting on January 1, 2018, the Joint Commission’s new and revised pain assessment and management standards for accredited hospitals will go into effect. Notably, the guidelines—as we report in a November news article—address safe opioid prescribing practices.

Among new requirements, the Joint Commission says hospitals should:

Designate a leader or team responsible for pain management and safe opioid prescribing.
Include patients in developing a pain management treatment plan—including realistic expectations and measurable goals—and educate them on discharge plans related to opioid adverse effects and safe use, storage, and disposal of opioids.
Use prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) databases to identify patients at risk for opioid addiction.
Identify opioid addiction treatment programs for patient referrals.
Inform staff about consultation and referral services available for patients with complex pain management needs.
Collect and analyze data on pain assessment and management to identify areas in which safety and quality could be improved.

The full list of new and revised guidelines is available here. How might these changes affect life for nurses and patients? Comments are welcome below.

Diane Szulecki, editor2017-12-13T15:23:52-05:00November 17th, 2017|Nursing, pain management, patient experience|8 Comments

‘Micro’ and ‘Macro’ Strategies for Nursing to Thrive as a Profession

At last month’s annual convention of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN), nurse and health care economist Peter Buerhaus received the Anthony J. Jannetti Award “for extraordinary contributions to health care.” Buerhaus, a professor of nursing at Montana State University College of Nursing, is widely known across health care disciplines for his research on health care costs and value, especially in regard to nurses and nursing. In his keynote talk, Buerhaus shared some of his recent research findings and offered some “micro” and “macro” nursing strategies for thriving amid today’s health care challenges.

Nurses maintain status as highly trusted professionals.

Click to expand. Most trusted professions, Gallup 2017 poll.

He began by reminding the group of some of the reasons that nurses are respected and trusted in America. People believe that nurses ensure quality of care, protect patients and maintain safety standards, and provide advice on personal health issues.

Studies show that we maintain this trusted status even when the media reports on the mistakes of individual nurses. And after good media attention, as when Alex Wubbels protected her patient or when nurses play key roles in disaster relief efforts, our approval ratings soar.