“When despair for the world grows in me…. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water…. I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.”—Wendell Berry, as quoted in the December editorial

The December issue of AJN is now live. Here are some of the articles we’re pleased to have a chance to publish this month.

CE: Original Research: Advance Care Planning: An Exploration of the Beliefs, Self-Efficacy, Education, and Practices of RNs and LPNs

The authors of this study surveyed RNs and LPNs working in skilled nursing facilities to learn about the similarities and differences in their advance care planning–related beliefs, sense of self-efficacy, education, and practices.

CE: Managing Movement Disorders: A Clinical Review

This article discusses the pathophysiology and assessment of three different, common neuromuscular disorders—muscle tightness, spasticity, and clonus—as well as the treatment options for each.

Cultivating Quality: Creating a Culture of Mobility: Using Real-Time Assessment to Drive Outcomes

The authors describe how they implemented an intervention based on the use of three new assessment tools to promote awareness of the importance of early mobility among nurses and physical and occupational therapists on an inpatient orthopedic unit.

Transition to Practice: Delegating as a New Nurse

This article provides strategies new nurses can use and specific steps they can take to help them succeed in delegating tasks to LPNs/LVNs and unlicensed assistive personnel.

Quality Counts: The Choosing Wisely Campaign for Nursing

Nurses can use the campaign’s list of 25 evidence-based recommendations to evaluate their own practices.

There’s much more in our December issue, including:

  • An AJN Reports on what nurses need to know about cybersecurity.
  • A Viewpoint on the ethics of slow codes.
  • A Nursing Resources column on identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking.

Click here to browse the table of contents and explore the issue on our website.

A note on the cover:

This month’s cover photo features a snowy forest scene along the Merced River in California’s Yosemite National Park. It’s a setting befitting an increasingly popular practice in the United States: forest bathing.

What is forest bathing? Put simply, it involves mindfully indulging in the sights, sounds, and smells of nature to achieve a sense of calm. Unlike in hiking, the aim of forest bathing isn’t exertion or reaching an end point. It’s about walking slowly and stopping frequently—perhaps taking time to sit or lay on a blanket—to notice and appreciate one’s surroundings. Read more about the health benefits of forest bathing in this month’s editorial.