“Nurses do the big things, but I am thankful for all the small things: for bringing peace in the eye of the storm…for providing us coordinates when we felt lost…for making us laugh—for doing the things that we remember, the things that last years later.”—Holly Bills in this month’s Reflections article, “The Little Things Nurses Do”

The March issue of AJN is now live. Here’s what’s new. Some articles may be free only to subscribers.

CE: Tumor Lysis Syndrome: An Oncologic Emergency

What nurses need to know about preventing and treating this serious condition, including recognizing its clinical presentation, identifying at-risk patients, and monitoring and managing symptoms and laboratory values.

Original Research: Impact of a Bedside Activity Device on the Functional Status of Hospitalized Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This pilot study evaluated the use of a device equipped with exergames—interactive video games that incorporate physical exercise—in preventing functional decline and increasing patients’ independence in basic activities of daily living.

Skin Assessment in Patients with Dark Skin Tone

The authors provide basic information about the assessment of dark skin tone and call for action in academia and professional practice to ensure the performance of effective skin assessments in all patients.

Nursing Research, Step by Step: Efficacy Randomized Controlled Trials

This article, one in a series on clinical research by nurses, describes the process of selecting the intervention, choosing experimental and control groups, determining study outcomes, and applying blinding and randomization.

Knot the Best Scenario: A Case of a Knotted Nasogastric Tube

This report presents the real case of an older adult whose nasogastric tube became knotted, causing difficulty in its removal, and discusses key takeaways for clinicians.

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

  • A Focus on DEI column on the benefits of a diverse nursing workforce.
  • A Specialty Spotlight on medical–surgical nursing.
  • A Professional Development article on how to write powerful letters of recommendation.

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 Vanishing Capes, a painting by artist and retired nurse Therese Cipiti Herron. The work spotlights a relic of nursing history: the nurse’s cape. “The uniform no longer worn is historically recognizable by the last generation of nurses still alive today,” she says.