“As nurses, we must push back on public health misinformation where and when we can, so that we don’t return to the days when viruses such as polio thrived and spread, and human health needlessly suffered.”—AJN editor-in-chief Carl Kirton in this month’s editorial

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

Original Research: COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Southern California Nurses

This study aimed to elucidate the characteristics of vaccine-hesitant nurses at two large medical centers where rates of COVID-19 vaccination were lower than expected, and to understand the reasons for such hesitancy.

Viewpoint: Reframing Hospital Nursing as a Specialty to Address the Staffing Crisis

In light of the current shortage of hospital nurses, the authors propose recasting the role as a specialty—instead of as an entry-level position—and call for an overhaul of nursing education, particularly clinical experiences.

CE: What COVID-19 Can Teach Nurses About Liability Risks

This article explores key nursing liability issues associated with the pandemic, including immunity, documentation, crisis standards of care, delegation and assignment, scope of practice, floating, travel nursing, telehealth, and misinformation and social media.

Integrating Palliative Care into Nursing Care

The authors discuss the need for palliative care inclusion in nursing education and practice, and offer recommendations for the improved delivery of primary palliative care.

Peer Reviewing Papers for a Nursing Journal

What reviewers need to consider when accepting a peer review assignment—and the essential elements they should include in their review.

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

  • An AJN Reports on racial disparities in end-of-life care.
  • A Mental Health Matters article on helping patients access mental health services.
  • A What I’m Reading book review of Rachel Jones’s Grief on the Front Lines: Reckoning with Trauma, Grief, and Humanity in Modern Medicine.

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, a child with cancer interacts with a nurse caring for her at home. We chose this photo in recognition of National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, observed each November to raise awareness about these areas of care and their value to patients and families.