Off the Charts

Collaborating with Medical Interpreters: Best Practices for LEP Patients

Limited English proficiency and adverse event risk.

As a native San Franciscan, I grew up surrounded by bilingual people who represented cultures from all over the world. It is a privilege for me to be surrounded by such rich diversity, but many patients who are limited English proficient (LEP) are at risk for adverse events once they enter a health care setting. Identifying a patient’s preferred language at the initial point of entry can ensure that resources are available to support the patient as they navigate the health care system. Medical interpreters are vital to our LEP patients and serve as a bridge for translating both language and other crucial cross-cultural elements of communication.

Letting patients and families know their rights.

Providing interpreting services reduces health inequities for LEP patients and is also required by Title VI of the U.S. Civil Rights Act (1964). This law states that hospitals that receive funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services must notify LEP patients of the availability of free interpreting services, which should not include their own friends and family. As nurses, we must advocate for our patients who may not be aware of their rights and may have fears about perceived consequences if they admit to not being proficient in English. Perform a […]

Guest Author2023-02-13T10:32:40-05:00February 13th, 2023|Nursing, patient engagement, Patients|1 Comment

When Studying Mental Illness in Nurses Means Studying Yourself

Carrying the burden of depression as a nurse.

As I read Anna’s (not her real name) description of how much effort it took to drag herself into work, how much she felt like a burden to her family, and her fear of being “found out,” tears welled up.

“I know,” I said to myself.

I was analyzing an interview transcript for a qualitative study of psychiatric-mental health nurses (PMHNs) who have experienced mental illness. More specifically, my colleagues and I wanted to know how their illnesses impacted their work as nurses.

I have been a PMHN for over 40 years, with an even longer experience of a mental illness. I recognized many of the participants’ stories in my study as my own, but none affected me the way hers did. An alarm bell inside my head went off. If I couldn’t create a clear boundary in my mind between Anna’s experiences and my own, I might be at risk of unduly influencing the study results.

Reflecting on shared experiences of depression.

I was grateful that a colleague was also analyzing these transcripts; to minimize the effects of my own potential bias, I took the opportunity to write down my thoughts and feelings in my reflexivity journal. This is […]

Guest Author2023-02-02T10:33:57-05:00February 2nd, 2023|mental illness, Nursing, patient experience|1 Comment

February Issue: Patient-to-Nurse Violence, The Future of Hospital at Home, More

“Workplace violence has become a familiar threat for those employed in a health care environment.”—Miranda Squire and Karen Hessler in this month’s Original Research article, “Patient-to-Nurse Violence During One-to-One Assignments: A Silent Epidemic”

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

AJN Reports: What’s the Future of Hospital at Home in the United States?

Programs offering this promising acute care model have proliferated since 2020, but payment and regulatory structures to address equity, oversight, and sustainability are needed.

CE: Caring for Patients After Ileostomy Surgery

A review of postoperative care following ileostomy, including hydration, medication, and nutritional management.

Original Research: Patient-to-Nurse Violence During One-to-One Assignments: A Silent Epidemic

This qualitative cross-sectional study investigated workplace violence from the perspective of nurses and nursing assistants working one-to-one assignments who experienced violent encounters with patients or visitors.

[…]

Diane Szulecki, editor2023-01-30T09:10:36-05:00January 30th, 2023|Nursing|0 Comments

Cross-Sector Collaboration and the New York City Involuntary Hospitalization Policy

Although currently living upstate, I’ve closely followed news of Mayor Eric Adams’ policy for removing residents who appear mentally ill on city streets. As a nurse with a background in health care administration, I find this policy ethically problematic. As a PhD candidate studying how organizations collaborate to transition patients lacking homes at discharge, I know the complexities of implementing this policy.

Mayor Adams is proposing a close read of section 9.58 of Article 9 of the New York State Mental Hygiene law, which is the state’s legislation pertaining to involuntary hospitalization of people experiencing acute mental illness. To “939” someone, as it is often informally termed, means to place them under involuntary psychiatric hospitalization because they pose an imminent threat to themselves or others; ‘imminent threat’ is usually interpreted to mean active suicidal ideations or homicidal threats or actions. What Mayor Adams proposes is to allow peace officers and mobile outreach units to apply a wider interpretation of this clause such that it includes any behavior that might threaten an individual’s ability to take care of their daily living needs.

I believe that housing first policies are the bare minimum for giving a person with serious mental illness or any significant […]

Guest Author2023-01-30T10:31:58-05:00January 25th, 2023|mental illness, Nursing, nursing roles, Public health|0 Comments

A Tip Sheet for Care of Textured Hair in Hospitalized Patients

“Black patients’ hair is often neglected due to lack of appropriate products and a predominantly non-Black health care staff unfamiliar with caring for hair different than their own.”

Click to expand; see link in text for a pdf of the full tip sheet.

Irene Friedman, MS, RN, and Michelle Sison, MSN, RN, noticed that hair care for Black patients needed improvement at their hospital. In response, they developed a Tip Sheet for Care of Textured Hair as an initiative in line with the goals of their hospital’s nursing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) Magnet core council.

They have generously made this downloadable pdf available to AJN to share with readers who would like to make use of it in their own hospitals.

This two-page document also includes recommended hair care products and QR code links to videos to instruct staff on how to care for textured hair.

To learn more about why and how Friedman and Sison developed this tool, read their December 2022 Viewpoint in AJN, “Equitable Patient Care Includes Equitable Hair Care.“

Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2023-01-19T09:54:02-05:00January 19th, 2023|Nursing|0 Comments

Limited English proficiency and adverse event risk.

Letting patients and families know their rights.

Share this:

Like this:

Carrying the burden of depression as a nurse.

Reflecting on shared experiences of depression.

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: