original research Archives - Page 7 of 10

April Issue: Career Choice Regret Among Nurses, Acute Care for Dementia Patients, More

“Nursing goes beyond measurable outcomes; it extends to the relationships between nursing staff and patients and their families that help them to adjust to their new normal.”—Andrew Dwight Reed, author of the April Reflections column, “A New Normal“

In case you’d like a break from 24/7 news of COVID-19 and want to keep up with some other nursing and health care topics, the April issue of AJN is now live. Here are the highlights:

Original Research: An Investigation of Career Choice Regret Among American Nurses

The authors surveyed a random sample of American Nurses Association members to find out the extent of career choice regret among U.S. nurses and whether burnout is an independent predictor.

CE: Acute Care for Patients with Dementia

This article describes the unique care needs of hospitalized patients
with dementia, highlighting evidence-based strategies and person-centered care principles nurses can incorporate into practice.
[…]

Diane Szulecki, editor2020-04-01T08:36:54-04:00April 1st, 2020|Nursing|0 Comments

March Issue: Brain Death Criteria Update, Inadequate Physical Activity in Female Cancer Survivors, More

“. . . there is no underestimating the power of meaning to bolster individuals and the power of meaninglessness to sap them of the will to go on.”—Henry Bair, author of the March Reflections column, “Waiting for Jerry”

The March issue of AJN is now live! Here are the highlights:

Original Research: Arthritis-Related Functional Limitations and Inadequate Physical Activity Among Female Adult Cancer Survivors

This study uses data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to examine the extent to which functional limitations due to arthritis are predictive of low physical activity levels in female cancer survivors.

CE: Brain Death: History, Updates, and Implications for Nurses

The authors review the development of brain death criteria, describe recent controversies and criteria updates, and discuss considerations for nurses who care for patients declared dead by neurologic criteria. […]

Diane Szulecki, editor2020-02-24T09:40:14-05:00February 24th, 2020|Nursing|0 Comments

The Burden of Diabetes

It’s exhausting, it is exhausting. It really is, to constantly take care of yourself and have to worry about everything you eat, everything you do, every move you make.

Flickr / Harshit Sekhon

This quote is from the original research article in AJN’s December issue, “Experiences of Diabetes Burnout: A Qualitative Study Among People with Type 1 Diabetes.” (You can read it for free and can also earn CE credits.)

Defining burnout.

The report details the results of interviews conducted by the authors to learn more about diabetes burnout, a phenomenon they define as “a state of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion following an apathetic detachment from one’s illness identity, diabetes self-care behaviors, and support systems, which is commonly accompanied by a feeling of powerlessness.”

In the interview excerpt above, one of the study participants, a 36-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes, aptly describes the constant attention required to manage the disease. This relentless focus on time, diet, activity, and blood glucose levels are wearying in themselves. When this 24-7 effort is still not enough to control glucose levels, the resulting sense of frustration and lack of control contribute to burnout. […]

Shawn Kennedy, MA, RN, FAAN, editor-in-chief (emerita)2019-12-17T10:05:56-05:00December 16th, 2019|Nursing|0 Comments

September Issue: HIV Update, RN-Performed Bone Marrow Procedures, Debriefing Methods, More

“One day—and I remember distinctly that all I was doing was setting up [my mother’s] pills and preparing a few bites of food that I hoped she’d eat—a clear small voice inside me said, ‘You could do this for other people.’”—Linda Beall, author of the September Reflections column, “A Clear Small Voice”

The September issue of AJN is now live. Here’s what’s new:

CE: HIV Update: An Epidemic Transformed

This article describes the current state of HIV treatment and prevention—including HIV risk reduction strategies such as PrEP and PEP—and highlights the common comorbidities often seen in older people living with HIV.

Cultivating Quality: Bone Marrow Aspiration and Biopsy Performed by RNs: A Review of Clinical Practice

The authors discuss the policies and practices of their program to train RNs to perform bone marrow procedures, its clinical and diagnostic outcomes, and the opportunity for nurses to work to their full scope of practice.

Teaching for Practice: Using Debriefing Methods in the Postclinical Conference

This article examines various debriefing methods and describes scenarios in which clinical instructors can use debriefing to turn daily events into teachable moments.

CE: Original Research: Are Milk and Molasses Enemas Safe for Hospitalized Adults? A Retrospective Electronic Health Record Review

The authors of this study evaluated the safety of milk and […]

Diane Szulecki, editor2019-08-26T10:09:33-04:00August 26th, 2019|Nursing|0 Comments

August Issue: Obesity-Related Cancer, Simulation-Based Education, Secondhand Smoke Screening, More

“A respite for nurses may be more needed than ever. Workplaces are more complex than they used to be and . . . changing faster. . . . And there never seem to be enough people to do what needs to be done.” —editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy, in her editorial, “A Day By the Sea”

The August issue of AJN is now live. Here’s what’s new:

CE: Original Research: The Clinical Research Nurse: Exploring Self-Perceptions About the Value of the Role

This study analyzes how clinical research nurses perceive the value of their practice, specifically as it relates to the care of clinical research subjects and the implementation of clinical research protocols.

CE: Obesity-Related Cancer in Women: A Clinical Review

The author discusses the role of obesity in the development and recurrence of breast, gynecologic, and colorectal cancers in women; describes weight loss interventions that may help overweight or obese patients reduce their cancer risk; and explains interviewing techniques nurses can use with such patients.

Special Feature: The Changing Landscape of Simulation-Based Education

This article details three foundational concepts of simulation-based education: prebriefing, debriefing, and safety in simulation. It also provides examples of academic, hospital- and health care center–based, and in situ simulation programs.