Off the Charts

House of Death, House of Life: Reflections of a Hospice Volunteer

Perhaps the fundamental requirement for hospice volunteers is an open mind. Assumptions and first impressions rarely predict reality. I met a soft-spoken woman who was once a nun, then later became a theme park belly dancer. I met an ex-Marine officer and small-town police chief, a self-described “soldier by nature,” who denounced all wars after 1945 as senseless bloodbaths. I met a former civil rights activist upset that minorities were moving into his neighborhood.

That’s from the August Reflections essay in AJN, “House of Death, House of Life.” The author, Ezra Ochshorn, explores the moments of tragedy and levity he encounters in his work as a hospice volunteer, the powerful impression made on him by people who are either at peace or full of “bitterness and regrets” as they approach death, his realization that his most important task is to be in the “here and now” with each person—and then to do his best to take this lesson back into his own life.

But why not read the entire short essay, since it’s free? Just click the link above.—JM, senior editor

Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2016-11-21T13:06:47-05:00August 9th, 2013|patient engagement|1 Comment

Nursing Editors Talking Shop in Ireland

By Maureen Shawn Kennedy, AJN editor-in-chief

Seaside at Lahinch

Last week I was in Cork to attend the annual meeting of the International Academy of Nursing Editors, also known as INANE (yes, I know, and the name was created with full awareness; this is not a group that takes itself seriously—decisions happen by consensus and any work is done by volunteers; if funds are needed for something, we pass the hat).

I met editors from Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and from as far away as Hong Kong and Israel. I’m amazed at the number and variety of nursing journals. Whatever the size of the journal, the issues and editorial priorities are similar. We all struggle with getting “good manuscripts,” that is, papers that are well written, supported by evidence, and speak to the concerns of the readers. Moody Connemara scenery

We heard a whirlwind 10-minute history of Ireland and a wonderful presentation on nursing in Ireland by Kathleen MacLellan, nurse advisor, Department of Health and Children, Dublin. We spent a lot of time discussing ethics as well as how to deal with submissions from students who need better guidance from faculty. (See my previous blog post on this topic.)

I always come away with new insights, helpful information, new contacts, and new ideas. And of course, there were a couple of social events to […]

Shawn Kennedy, MA, RN, FAAN, editor-in-chief (emerita)2016-11-21T13:06:48-05:00August 7th, 2013|career, nursing perspective, nursing research|0 Comments

Nursing Blogs Roundup: Some Veteran Voices and Some Lively New Ones

By Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor

Blogging – What Jolly Fun!/Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, via Flickr Creative Commons

Here are some new or newish posts of note on various nursing blogs:

At Nursetopia: “You Get What You Put In To Your Nursing Association.”

At Nursing Stories: “Memories of MICU,” a post about visiting a new state-of-the-art medical intensive care unit (MICU) and comparing it to one the author worked on in the 1970s.

At the American Nurses Association (ANA) blog called One Strong Voice: “Working With a New Graduate or Novice RN? If So, Be Mindful of Workplace Bullying.”

Episode six is now up at The Adventures of Nurse Niki, a newish blog written by Julianna Paradisi (her other blog is JParadisi RN). This blog is made up entirely of first-person episodes told by a fictional nurse named Niki. Each episode is short, detailed, and engaging, and it’s easy to keep up with it on a regular basis, or quickly catch up if you haven’t yet read any episodes.

At Digital Doorway: “Evolving as a Nurse: The Work of the Soul.” Here’s a brief excerpt:

“The evolution of a nurse and his or […]

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Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2016-11-21T13:06:50-05:00August 5th, 2013|healthcare social media, nursing perspective|1 Comment

Trailblazing: The Value of Positive Deviance in Nursing

Illustration by Janet Hamlin.

By Sylvia Foley, AJN senior editor

The word deviant tends to have a negative connotation, suggesting something aberrant or harmful. But deviance simply means a departure from the expected or usual way of doing things—and there are times when being able and willing to do so is crucial. Indeed, some have called this trailblazing.

In “Exploring the Concept and Use of Positive Deviance in Nursing,” an August CE, author Jodie Gary points out that “the clinical setting contains an infinite assortment of situations” in which applicable professional standards might be unavailable or unrealistic; at such times, “nurses might have to react creatively” in order to provide optimal patient care. This article provides an in-depth, evidence-based look at positive deviance in nursing.

Overview: Positive deviance involves an intentional act of breaking the rules in order to serve the greater good. For nurses, the rightness or wrongness of such actions will be judged by other people who are in charge of rules enforcement; but the decision to engage in positive deviance lies solely with the nurse. There is no uniform or consistent definition of positive deviance. This article uses the Walker and Avant method of concept analysis to explore and identify the essence of the term positive deviance in the nursing practice environment, provide a better understanding of the concept, and clarify its meaning for the nursing profession. In turn this led to an operational definition: positive […]

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Guest Author2017-07-27T14:50:36-04:00August 1st, 2013|nursing perspective|6 Comments

AJN’s August Issue: Positive Deviance, Vital Sign Alert Systems, Using Focus Groups, Teaching Nursing Abroad, More

AJN‘s August issue is now available on our Web site. Here’s a selection of what not to miss.

Sometimes rules are meant to be broken in order to serve the greater good. This month’s CE feature “Exploring the Concept and Use of Positive Deviance in Nursing” aims to increase our understanding of positive deviance (“an intentional act of breaking the rules in order to serve the greater good”) within the context of nursing practice. You can earn 2.5 CE credits with this article. If you’re reading AJN on your iPad, you can listen to a podcast interview with the author by clicking on the podcast icon on the first page of the article. The podcast is also available on our Web site.

The early warning signs of deterioration that patients often exhibit several hours before cardiopulmonary arrest often go unrecognized by nurses. “Developing a Vital Sign Alert System“ describes an automated vital sign alert system that was designed to enhance patient monitoring without increasing the nurse’s workload. Earn 2.4 CE credits by reading this article and taking the test that follows it.

“Using Focus Groups to Inform Innovative Approaches to Care,” an article in our Professional Development department, uses case studies to describe how nurses can use patient focus groups for gathering qualitative data that can advance patient advocacy.

And if you are interested in what’s going on in the nursing world in other countries, read this month’s […]

Amy M. Collins, managing editor2016-11-21T13:06:52-05:00July 29th, 2013|nursing perspective|0 Comments