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Preparing Patients to Care for Themselves After Discharge

Here’s your prescription. Don’t drive if you take it. Call your surgeon if you have a temperature or are worried about anything. See your doctor in two weeks. Want a flu shot? If you need a wheelchair to take you to the door, I’ll call. If not, you can go. Take care of yourself. You’ll do great!”

These were my nurse’s parting words before I left the hospital after a weeklong stay and surgery to remove my stomach and the tumor in it. I said goodbye. Then I panicked. What did I need to know about my new digestive system? What about that big scar? Until then I’d been closely monitored and checked on every 90 minutes.

Now it was 8:45 in the morning. My husband hadn’t arrived. I was supposed to move on.

Jessie Gruman

That’s the start of our July Viewpoint column, “Preparing Patients to Care for Themselves,” written by Jessie Gruman, president and founder of the the Center for Advancing Health, a nonpartisan policy institute that’s played an important role in the growing patient engagement movement.

In this essay and elsewhere, Gruman draws on her own experience as a cancer patient as well as her public health expertise to bring insight and clarity to the often nebulous concept of […]

Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2016-11-21T13:04:18-05:00July 11th, 2014|Nursing|2 Comments

AJN’s April Issue: Sickle Cell Anemia, Telehealth, Systematic Reviews, FOAMed, More

AJN‘s April issue is now available on our Web site. Here’s a selection of what not to miss, including two continuing education (CE) articles that you can access for free.

Coping with pain in sickle cell anemia. Our April cover features a painting of red flowers in a vase. But on closer inspection, you might notice that the flowers are actually red blood cells, painted by a young girl who suffers from sickle cell anemia. Afflicting about 90,000 to 100,000 people in the United States, sickle cell disease often causes acute and chronic pain syndromes described as being on par with cancer-related pain. Cognitive behavioral therapies, such as the use of guided imagery, have shown promise in changing pain perception and coping patterns in people with chronic illnesses. April’s original research CE article, “Using Guided Imagery to Manage Pain in Young Children with Sickle Cell Disease,” suggests that this technique can be effective for managing pain in school-age children with the disease.

Implementing advances in telehealth. New technologies such as remote monitoring and videoconferencing often emerge before a facility is ready to efficiently integrate them. Sometimes referred to as disruptive innovations, these technologies, while convenient and easy to use, may not be readily accepted. “Telehealth: A Case Study in Disruptive Innovation” discusses the many applications of telehealth, a means of delivering care that is […]

Amy M. Collins, managing editor2016-11-21T13:05:06-05:00March 28th, 2014|nursing perspective, nursing research|0 Comments

The Dangers of Loneliness: Findings from a Study among Appalachian Elders

By Sylvia Foley, AJN senior editor

Arrow and mountains by taberandrew, via Flickr

Writing for AJN in 1955, Hildegard Peplau described the complexities of loneliness, observing that “often loneliness is not felt; instead the person has a feeling of unexplained dread, of desperation, or extreme restlessness.” Fast-forward to 2009: nurse researchers Laurie Theeke and Jennifer Mallow wanted to better understand the health implications of loneliness, and decided to conduct a study. This month’s original research CE, “Loneliness and Quality of Life in Chronically Ill Rural Older Adults,” reports on a data analysis of their findings.

One of the most striking findings was that 97% of the sample reported significant loneliness, an extremely high prevalence rate. Here’s a quick overview of the study:

Background: Loneliness is a contributing factor to various health problems in older adults, including complex chronic illness, functional decline, and increased risk of mortality.

Objectives: A pilot study was conducted to learn more about the prevalence of loneliness in rural older adults with chronic illness and how it affects their quality of life. The purposes of the data analysis reported here were twofold: to describe loneliness, chronic illness diagnoses, chronic illness control measures, prescription medication use, […]

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Guest Author2017-07-27T14:50:14-04:00September 4th, 2013|nursing research|2 Comments

AJN’s September Issue: Care of Incarcerated Pregnant Women, Gun Violence, Pressure Ulcer Guidelines, More

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

Loneliness may be linked to multiple chronic illnesses, decline in positive health practices, and increased risk of death, as described in this month’s original research article, “Loneliness and Quality of Life in Chronically Ill Rural Older Adults.” Data from the pilot study described in the article suggest that nurses’ assessment and management of loneliness in this population is vital. 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.

In 2004, only 54% of incarcerated pregnant women received some type of pregnancy care, and the quality of that care varied widely. Pregnant women in prisons face other risks, such as poor nutrition and heavy workloads, and often are required to be shackled during labor, despite laws to the contrary. These practices, as well as implications for nursing practice, policy, and research, are discussed in this month’s CE feature, “Care of Pregnant Women in the Criminal Justice System.” Earn 2.5 CE credits by reading this article and taking the test that […]

Amy M. Collins, managing editor2016-11-21T13:06:41-05:00September 3rd, 2013|Nursing|0 Comments

When Your Child Has a Scary Chronic Illness

By Jacob Molyneux, senior editor

It may be easier to live with a chronic illness than to have a child who has one. The June Reflections essay, “Seized,” is by a mother who eloquently evokes her struggle to accept her daughter’s epilepsy. She honestly confronts her own resistance to letting her daughter be a normal child—despite the terrifying episodes, the sense of helplessness she feels as a parent, the wish that she could always protect her daughter.

Here’s how it begins, but I hope you’ll click the link and read the entire essay.

It begins with a gurgle from deep in Daney’s throat: low, primal, guttural. In the next few seconds, her back will arch and her palms will turn up. Her 10-year-old self will twitch, then tremble, like she’s being electrocuted—and in a way, she is.

Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2016-11-21T13:09:55-05:00June 13th, 2012|nursing perspective|0 Comments