AJN in January: Triglycerides, HPV–Related Oral Cancers, Year in Review, More

The January issue of AJN is now live. Here are some articles we’d like to bring to your attention.

CE Feature: “Triglycerides: Do They Matter?”

In light of the increasing incidences of obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes, lowering triglyceride levels has been getting renewed interest. In addition to the focus on lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, clinicians need to be aware of the role of triglycerides—their contribution to CVD, and the causes and treatment of hypertriglyceridemia. In this article, the authors discuss the importance of lowering triglyceride levels and review the lifestyle changes and pharmacologic treatments that can help achieve this goal.

CE Feature: “Human Papillomavirus-Related Oral Cancers: The Nurse’s Role in Mitigating Stigma and Dispelling Myths”

The prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV)–related oral cancers has been rising, with the cancers occurring in adults at a younger age than HPV-negative oral cancers typically do and in men more often than women. Because HPV is sexually transmitted, diagnosis with an HPV-related oral cancer may prompt feelings of shame and guilt. It’s essential for nurses to educate patients on HPV transmission and HPV-related oral cancer, thus helping to mitigate the stigma and dispel myths, and to promote vaccination in at-risk populations, including children and young adults.

In the […]

2016-12-30T10:46:54-05:00December 30th, 2016|Nursing|0 Comments
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Remembering a Tough NYC Detective on the 41st Great American Smokeout

Photo of AJN editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy AJN editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy

My uncle Joe embodied the persona of the old-time tough NYC Irish detective—he was over six feet tall, had piercing blue eyes and white hair, always wore a tan raincoat, and always had a cigarette in his hand. As a child, my siblings and I were always a little bit afraid of him. That image faded, though, and my last image of him was hunched over, with an oxygen cannula, trying to breathe. All those cigarettes added up, and after a lifetime of smoking, he died from chronic lung disease. This was before the landmark report on smoking and health issued by the U.S. surgeon general in 1964. Tiffany, 35, Louisiana; quit smoking at 34; smoke-free since January 2012. (CDC) Tiffany, 35, Louisiana; quit smoking at 34; smoke-free since January 2012. (CDC)

Today is the 41st annual Great American Smokeout—the day created by the American Cancer Society (ACS) to help encourage smokers to quit smoking. According to […]

2016-11-21T13:00:49-05:00November 16th, 2016|Nursing, personal health practices, Public health|0 Comments
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Throwing a Rope Down The Hole of Despair: Early Referral to Palliative Care

Julianna Paradisi, RN, OCN, is an oncology nurse navigator and writes a monthly post for this blog. Illustration by the author: River, Mountain, Sky – detail of Polar Bear’s Last Song. Watercolor, inkjet collage, 2016.

River, Mountain, Sky - detail of Polar Bear's Last Song. Watercolor, inkjet collage, 2016 by Julianna ParadisiNervously, I adjust the Bluetooth earpiece I’m wearing before dialing the phone number. I’ve rehearsed my greeting. On the other end, the patient answers, “Hello?”

I tell her it’s her nurse navigator and I’ve called to find out how she’s doing. Her oncologist recently informed her the cancer has returned—further treatment will only ease symptoms, not cure the cancer.

“I haven’t left the house since I got the news,” she tells me. “Sometimes I just sit on the sofa all day. I don’t know what to do.”

It’s a common response from patients in similar circumstances. The realization they will not survive can become emotionally paralyzing, rendering a person unable to find purpose or a reason to keep going. Pain, fatigue from surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, contribute to feelings of hopelessness, hampering the ability to consider their choices.

“Did your doctor mention a palliative care referral?”

Many health care […]

2016-11-21T13:01:14-05:00May 2nd, 2016|Nursing, Patients|2 Comments
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AJN in May: Night-Shift Naps, Intrathecal Cancer Pain Relief, Teaching Nurses to Write, More

On this month’s cover is A Maid Asleep (1656–57) by the Dutch master Johannes Vermeer. We chose this painting to call attention to the issue of sleepiness in nurses who work the night shift, which is explored in this month’s Original Research article.

On-the-job sleepiness among nurses can increase the risk of patient care errors, job-related injuries, and long-term health problems.

For night-shift nurses, one potential solution is being allowed to take brief naps during a shift, which the American Nurses Association recommends as an evidence-based countermeasure to fatigue. But nurses may face barriers to doing so, including a lack of formal breaks on the unit and concerns about impeding the quality of nursing care. To learn about a project that explored those barriers and attempted to implement night-shift naps, read “Napping on the Night Shift: A Two-Hospital Implementation Project.”

Some other articles of note in the May issue:

CE Feature: “Intrathecal Pumps for Managing Cancer Pain.” Among patients with cancer, moderate to severe pain is prevalent and can be refractory even with the use of systemic opioids, which may cause adverse effects that are difficult to manage at the doses required to control pain. When delivered intrathecally, however, opioids and adjuvant analgesics may provide greater pain relief at dramatically lower doses and with fewer adverse effects. This article provides an overview of intrathecal pump therapy, including its benefits and potential risks and complications; the medications that can be delivered intrathecally; and the nursing care […]

2016-11-21T13:01:16-05:00April 29th, 2016|Nursing, nursing perspective, nursing research|0 Comments
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Imagery: A Safe, Simple Practice Available to All Nurses

By Betsy Todd, MPH, RN, CIC, AJN clinical editor

by Ramon Peco/via Flickr by Ramon Peco/via Flickr

“In our quest to keep up with the latest medical advances, we often forget that the healing art of imagery is available to each of us,” writes nurse practitioner Laurie Kubes in this month’s AJN. In “Imagery for Self-Healing and Integrative Nursing Practice,” Kubes explores some of the evidence supporting this technique and illustrates how it can enhance both patient care and our own self-care.

Imagery builds upon the quiet reassurance and support that we routinely provide to patients in our efforts to make them comfortable and relaxed. The more deliberate practice of imagery engages the power of imagination for deeper relaxation and a potentially more healing experience. And all we need in order to do this, as Kubes notes, is an open mind, a basic knowledge of the practice, and time to dedicate to it.
[…]

2016-11-21T13:01:43-05:00November 23rd, 2015|Nursing, nursing perspective, patient engagement, Patients|1 Comment
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Views expressed on the blog are solely those of the authors or persons quoted. They do not necessarily reflect AJN’s views or those of Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
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