quality improvement Archives - Page 9 of 14

May Issue Highlights: Pain Management in Critical Care, ECG Interpretation Basics, More

“The reality of an insufficient health care workforce and underfunded health care system is all too evident. . . . Perhaps things will change after this, and we will be ready the next time. I hope so.”—editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy in her May Editor’s Note, “Life, Interrupted“

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

Original Research: Exploring the Effects of a Nurse-Initiated Diary Intervention on Post–Critical Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

The authors examine how collaborative diary writing—by patients, visitors, and interdisciplinary team members—can affect the development of posttraumatic stress disorder and symptom severity in critical illness survivors.

CE: Managing Pain in Critically Ill Adults: A Holistic Approach

A review of the Society of Critical Care Medicine’s PADIS guidelines—and how they go beyond the earlier PAD guidelines—in providing specific guidance related to assessment and management of pain, use of opioids in critical illness, and use of adjunctive analgesia.

New Series: Strip Savvy: A Case of Bradycardia and Extreme Fatigue

This is the first article in a new series on the basics of electrocardiography (ECG) […]

Diane Szulecki, editor2020-04-27T09:02:16-04:00April 27th, 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

October Issue: Infections in Acute Care, Understanding ‘Omics’ Sciences, Countering Vaccine Misinformation, More

“What we . . . may consider a passing moment in the course of our day—a short exchange with a family member, a few words of encouragement to a patient—might very well be a pivotal life event. . . . we must choose our words and actions carefully.”—editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy, in her editorial, “It’s the Moments That Matter“

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

CE: Infection in Acute Care: Evidence for Practice

The author reviews the evidence on preventing and treating common infections in acute care settings, focusing on community- and hospital-acquired pneumonia, surgical site infections, and Clostridioides difficile infection.

CE: Knowledge of Precision Medicine and Health Care: An Essential Nursing Competency

This article provides a background in precision health care and the “omics” sciences—those that use genomic technologies to investigate the molecules in an organism’s cells—and discusses the implications for nursing practice, research, and education. […]

Diane Szulecki, editor2019-09-30T09:16:31-04:00September 30th, 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.