Off the Charts

Looking for Positive Things As We Near Thanksgiving

As we near Thanksgiving, I increasingly find myself looking for positive things—partly to help diminish my sadness about the still-mounting COVID-19 deaths and the nearly universal strain that everyone, perhaps especially those in health care, seems to be feeling.

As I wrote in last November’s editorial:

“Though I’m by no means a Pollyanna, I do believe incessant dwelling on the negatives doesn’t help any of us; we also need to examine the positives. I recall how exhausting it was to work a long, hard shift alongside someone who complained about everything. The negativity colored my own perceptions and stayed with me well after the shift ended. Conversely, working with colleagues who offered support and voiced a “we will get through this” attitude inspired confidence and optimism. My first nurse manager in the ED was superb at this, especially during some very harrowing shifts.” […]

Shawn Kennedy, MA, RN, FAAN, editor-in-chief (emerita)2021-11-23T15:17:39-05:00November 23rd, 2021|wellness|0 Comments

December Issue: Nurse Fatigue Solutions, Addressing Misinformation, More

“Nurses don’t care about being heroes. They want to be respected, protected, and enabled to do their jobs.”—editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy in her December editorial, “Finding Joy in the Dark”

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

CE: Nurses Are More Exhausted Than Ever: What Should We Do About It?

This article discusses causes and challenges of nurse fatigue, evidence-based strategies and solutions for individual nurses and organizations, and changes needed to transform nursing culture and workplaces into more supportive environments for nurses.

Clinical Feature: Care Coordination: A Concept Analysis

The authors clarify care coordination as a concept and practice role and examine the value that nursing brings to its implementation.

Special Feature: A New Framework for Practice–Academic Partnerships During the Pandemic—and into the Future

This article outlines a model to provide nursing students with in-person clinical experiences during a public health crisis such as COVID-19, as well as the implications of using this model once the pandemic ends. […]

Diane Szulecki, editor2021-11-22T08:39:18-05:00November 22nd, 2021|Nursing|0 Comments

States Seek to Limit Health Officials’ Powers to Act

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, public health measures to control the spread of the virus have provoked fierce debate. In recent months, at least 15 state legislatures have passed or are considering bills to limit the legal authority of public health agencies, according to the Network for Public Health Law, which has partnered with the National Association of County and City Health Officials to document the situation. In addition, lawmakers in at least 46 states have introduced bills to rein in the power of governors to take action in public health and other emergencies.

The anger fueling these actions stems from the perceived overreach by health officials, resulting in a backlash of legislative attempts to limit their authority. These include measures to prevent the closure of businesses or allow lawmakers to rescind mask mandates.

In addition, some state courts have limited the emergency and regulatory powers that governors used to respond to the pandemic. Demands for “individual freedom” spurred some of these state actions, though their consequences are likely to be more far reaching. […]

Guest Author2021-11-18T10:25:06-05:00November 18th, 2021|infection control, infectious diseases, Nursing, Public health|0 Comments

Helping Older Adults Get the Care That Matters to Them

Family caregivers should be partners in caring when family members are hospitalized.

“An estimated 41.8 million Americans were caregivers of an older adult relative or friend in 2020.” (From “The Four Ms of an Age-Friendly Health System” in AJN‘s November issue.)

That’s an impressive number, especially when one considers that any of the caregivers themselves may be older adults with chronic illness.

Are we preparing caregivers?

We ask a lot of these individuals, especially given the many complex tasks they are asked to perform, often with little or no training. And that’s nursing’s role—ensuring our patients are discharged to family members prepared to provide the care needed.

As a nurse, I felt prepared to be a caregiver for a family member who was discharged after complex cancer surgery. I was astonished at the brief discharge instructions for managing the Foley catheter, drains, and eight different medications; then I was handed a manila folder of papers about each medication. It took me a few hours to sort out schedules for medications and flushing drains.

But what about caregivers with no health care training, or who may not have manual dexterity or see clearly, or perhaps lack literacy at the level needed? Unfortunately, many hospitals are under resourced—in […]

Shawn Kennedy, MA, RN, FAAN, editor-in-chief (emerita)2021-11-15T10:49:14-05:00November 15th, 2021|Nursing, Patients|0 Comments

A Day to Honor Our Veterans Who Have Served

Today, on Veteran’s Day, AJN would like to honor all of those who have served in the U.S. military, including the 19 million who served during at least one war. This of course includes all those nurses who have served in the armed forces.

Veterans’ health care.

Nurses in every care setting, from hospital to primary care clinic, may encounter veterans, and it’s important to be aware of particular health concerns that may affect them. Please visit our collection of articles on the military and veterans’ health care, which will be free for the next week.

Topics in the collection include, among others:

caring for families with deployment stress
screening for posttraumatic stress disorder
enhancing veteran-centered care
traumatic brain injury.

While some of the articles are older, they are still pertinent today. We honor and thank all those who have served.

(Photo credit: Photo by sydney Rae on Unsplash.)

Amy M. Collins, managing editor2021-11-11T10:50:27-05:00November 11th, 2021|Nursing|0 Comments

Share this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Share this:

Like this:

Are we preparing caregivers?

Share this:

Like this:

Veterans’ health care.

Share this:

Like this: