Nursing Archives - Page 322 of 408

Feeling Just Beachy

By Shawn Kennedy, AJN editor-in-chief

Last week I wrote a post here about the feeling of well-being—what it is, how it’s measured, and whether or not nurses often experience it. I guess writing the post struck a chord with me. I sometimes (often) feel overwhelmed with responsibilities at work and home and wish there was more time for fun, rejuvenating activities, and relaxing with friends. With this in mind, I decided to accept an invitation from friends to come for a visit.

My husband and I took a leisurely two-hour drive on Saturday down to see old friends at their new home on a New Jersey barrier island, one block from the ocean. Although it was a very cold day, the sun was shining in a bright, blue, cloudless sky. We decided to brave the wind and bundled up and headed out for a walk on the beach.

The air had that salty-sun smell and the wind was blowing enough to make the water choppy and full of whitecaps—it was gorgeous and exhilarating, and we tramped about for an hour. Later, we headed out again, this time to wander around the point at the south end of the island, where migratory birds and turtle nests were protected. Nothing like an ocean wind to clear your head!

A good meal, some catch-up conversations and laughs—it was a fabulous day. At times, I could still hear that nagging part of my brain saying, “What about those e-mails you need to get out?” and “You have to […]

Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2016-11-21T13:13:40-05:00March 28th, 2011|nursing perspective|2 Comments

Are You a Well Being?

By Shawn Kennedy, AJN editor-in-chief

A tweet from the UK’s Nursing Times recently caught my eye. It was directing Twitter followers to a post on its Web site, asking what “well-being” meant to them. The post discusses the work life vs. home life seesaw and whether readers’ chosen careers leave them time to enjoy other aspects of life. There’s actually a national well-being debate in the UK, where the Office for National Statistics is seeking public input in developing new measures of national well-being.

We measure well-being here in the U.S. too, with the CDC’s measures of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) index. While noting that “there is no consensus around a general definition of well-being,” the CDC sketches the concept of well-being in the following way:

“. . . at minimum, well-being includes the presence of positive emotions and moods (e.g., contentment, happiness), the absence of negative emotions (e.g., depression, anxiety), satisfaction with life, fulfillment and positive functioning. In simple terms, well-being can be described as judging life positively and feeling good. . . . physical well-being (e.g., feeling very healthy and full of energy) is also viewed as critical to overall well-being.”

Most people I know say they’re working harder than they ever did before. I see single parents and don’t know how they work full-time, deal with childrens’ schedules and needs, and make time for themselves. (I guess mostly they don’t—especially the part about making time for […]

Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2016-11-21T13:13:41-05:00March 23rd, 2011|career, nursing perspective|12 Comments

Errors to Avoid in Scientific Publication, circa 1929

Shawn Kennedy, AJN editor-in-chief

Scholarly publication has been under fire because of lack of rigor and conflicts of interest. And authors seem to be clueless at times as to how things went so wrong.

Well, here’s some sage advice about common errors to avoid that I found in the July 1929 issue of AJN:

Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2016-11-21T13:13:43-05:00March 21st, 2011|nursing research|0 Comments

Japan Earthquake Aftermath: What Nurses Need to Know About Radiation Exposure

By Maureen Shawn Kennedy, editor-in-chief

The pictures are horrifying. First a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, then a tsunami, and now the Japanese people are perilously close to another disaster from radiation leaking from damaged nuclear power plants.

The death toll, already in the thousands, possibly tens of thousands, will undoubtedly climb without the intervention from disaster relief organizations, which may be reluctant to send their responders into areas with high radiation. After its ships and crew were exposed to radiation from a leaking reactor (the New York Times reported that the deck crew on the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan was exposed to radiation that “caused them to receive a month’s worth of radiation in about an hour”), the U.S. Navy repositioned its ships further off the coast of Japan as a precaution, and is conducting relief operations from the north, away from the wind currents.

There’s been much discussion in the media about the effects of radiation, what levels are harmful, etc, and nurses may indeed receive questions from patients or families with members participating in relief efforts. Here are two articles from AJN that will help you answer questions (they’ll be free until April 18):

Radiation: Clinical Responses to Radiologic Incidents and Emergencies

Radiologic Emergency: Protecting Schoolchildren and the Public

Here’s an excerpt from the first of these two articles:

PATIENT DECONTAMINATION
• Remove the patient’s clothing and dress him in
scrubs or a gown.
• […]

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Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2016-11-21T13:13:46-05:00March 16th, 2011|nursing perspective|3 Comments

Six Degrees of Separation: How Close Is Too Close?

By Julianna Paradisi, RN, OCN

I stand in the fluorescent-lit hallway, waiting my turn at the window to pick up two units of blood from the blood bank. Ahead of me, a woman whose hair is swallowed up by a paper bouffant cap wears blue scrubs and hot pink Crocs on her feet. I assume she’s from OR, because of her garb. The blood bank is located in a staff only access area, and the hallway is narrow. Loitering, I feel the same awkwardness I feel standing on a sidewalk while waiting my turn at an ATM. What’s the socially acceptable separation between the person I’m waiting behind and myself? Too much, I block the hallway or the sidewalk for others. Not enough space, and I intrude on the interaction. How close is too close?

On my way back to the clinic, I carry the units of blood in a Playmate cooler marked “Biohazard.” I stand in another hallway waiting for an elevator. It’s flu season, so I hit the “up” button with my elbow to avoid getting virus on my hands. I look around first so visitors won’t see me do it. I don’t care if hospital staff watches. They understand. The elevator door opens, and I get in. After the doors close, the person standing next to me coughs as if expectorating a lung. This is too close.

Back in the clinic, I double-check the first unit of blood with another nurse. […]

Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2016-11-21T13:13:47-05:00March 15th, 2011|nursing perspective|1 Comment