The March 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: An Investigation into the Safety of Oral Intake During Labor

In this study, the authors compared the maternal and neonatal outcomes among laboring women permitted ad lib oral intake with those permitted nothing by mouth except for ice chips. The findings support relaxing the restrictions on oral intake in cases of uncomplicated labor.

CE: Malnutrition in Older Adults

A review of the many cognitive, psychological, social, and economic factors that can affect the nutritional status of older adults, and how nurses can intervene to prevent and address malnutrition in these patients.

Cultivating Quality: Expanding RN Scope of Practice to Include Lumbar Puncture

A quality improvement initiative enhanced access to neurology services in an ambulatory clinic by teaching nurses to perform lumbar puncture.

Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone: Teaching Wound Care to Family Caregivers

Methods to promote wound healing that nurses can use to teach family caregivers, including a tear sheet of key points and links to instructional videos. This article is one in a series published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute.

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

  • An AJN Reports on a CDC initiative to improve community health in five years.
  • An Ethical Issues column on the ethical and legal implications of nurse Alex Wubbels’ arrest.
  • A Profile of Julie Metzger, a nurse educator who runs a popular class on puberty for preteens and their parents.

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

A note on the cover:

On this month’s cover is the painting Old Man Drinking Herbal Tea (1895) by Swiss artist Albert Anker. We chose this painting to illustrate the common problem of malnutrition in older adults, as discussed in the aforementioned CE article.