Who handles the handling?

Healthcare organizations that have implemented effective safe patient handling and mobility programs report a reduction in healthcare worker injury rates related to manual patient handling. In addition, organizations with early mobility programs report a decrease in harm associated with immobility and improved financial stewardship through decreased lengths of stay and episode-of-care costs. Despite this evidence, organizations struggle with implementing and sustaining the practice change necessary to maintain them.

Get inspired about legislation

When nurses assert their voices and take an active role in political advocacy, they can make a real impact. Because we have the experience, expertise, and skills to prioritize evidence-based practice, we hold a position to influence policy decisions. By engaging in nursing politics, nurses can play a pivotal role in improving overall healthcare delivery.

Who handles the handling?

Healthcare organizations that have implemented effective safe patient handling and mobility programs report a reduction in healthcare worker injury rates related to manual patient…

Get inspired about legislation

When nurses assert their voices and take an active role in political advocacy, they can make a real impact. Because we have the experience,…

Remembering Eloise Richardson

During World War II, countless women answered the call to serve, stepping into roles that reshaped history and helped turn the tide in humanity’s darkest hour. They served as mechanics, nurses, codebreakers, factory workers, and spies. They fulfilled their duties…

Specialized nursing care for times of greatest need

An adolescent patient came to my clinic traumatized after being sexually assaulted by her mother’s boyfriend. I noticed her raspy voice. After further examination, I recommended that we complete a strangulation assessment, during which we recovered the perpetrator’s DNA. The…

Multitasking: Gift or Nursing’s Curse?

A study that examined the cognitive mechanisms involved in task switching, particularly how executive control processes manage multiple tasks (think of the time you checked a text message while programming an I.V. pump), suggests that multitasking reduces efficiency because the…

A view of 5600 Fishers Lane in Rockville, Maryland, which houses the headquarters of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and other health agencies. According to a senior AHRQ official who spoke on condition of anonymity, a climate of deep depression has settled over the agency’s offices. (Antony-22/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0)

What’s Lost: Trump Whacks Tiny Agency That Works To Make the Nation’s Health Care Safer

Sue Sheridan’s baby boy, Cal, suffered brain damage from undetected jaundice in 1995. Helen Haskell’s 15-year-old son, Lewis, died after surgery in 2000 because weekend hospital staffers didn’t realize he was in shock. The episodes turned both women into advocates…

I remember: Reflections of a hospice nurse

As I drive down the road I pass familiar houses. The homes flood me with memories. I remember the faces. I remember…

Syphilis eradication is still a long way off: Doxy-PEP can help

In the late 1990s, public health departments around the globe celebrated the prospect of eradicating syphilis. However, by the early 2000s, this…

COVID-19 patients fared worse on ECMO than non-COVID-19 patients: Study

Pneumonia patients with COVID-19 who required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) fared worse than those without COVID-19, according to a study that looked…

Enhancing rural health through expanded APRN scope of practice

Rural American communities frequently struggle to provide adequate primary care services due to limited healthcare facilities and a shortage of qualified professionals.…

Webinars

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Collaboration in Patient-Centered Care Planning: Navigating Oncology

Simulation: Preparing for workplace violence

Tactical Implementation of an Effective Falls Program

Challenging and Inspiring: Beyond Common Fall Prevention Practices

Travel Nursing – How to ensure a good experience

Continuing Education

Premature ventricular complexes

Your patient has heart failure exacerbation, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, chronic renal failure, and depression. She says that she feels lightheaded…

Sepsis in the hospital setting: A case study

A 42-year-old man arrives in the ED. He reports not feeling like himself. Three days ago he stepped on a nail, which punctured his…

Cancer treatment delays and survival outcomes

Delays in seeking treatment frequently lead to poor health outcomes. Especially with regard to symptoms associated with cancer, early detection and treatment can improve…

Women and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis

Why are new HIV cases still occurring when we have preventive treatment? One reason could be a lack of knowledge and experience among healthcare…

Coaching and evaluating new graduate nurses

Ongoing research shows a decline in new graduate nurses’ clinical judgment. Effective mentorship plays a crucial role in ensuring patient safety while new nurses…

Navigating Long COVID

Long COVID, a stigmatized and somewhat controversial condition, has begun to gain the public’s attention as some who previously had acute COVID-19 began reporting…

Premature ventricular complexes

Your patient has heart failure exacerbation, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, chronic renal failure, and depression. She says that she…

Sepsis in the hospital setting: A case study

A 42-year-old man arrives in the ED. He reports not feeling like himself. Three days ago he stepped on a nail, which…

Cancer treatment delays and survival outcomes

Delays in seeking treatment frequently lead to poor health outcomes. Especially with regard to symptoms associated with cancer, early detection and treatment…

Women and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis

Why are new HIV cases still occurring when we have preventive treatment? One reason could be a lack of knowledge and experience…

Education and Career Guide

Education can be the key to professional success. Whether you’re a new or experienced nurse, returning to school to get your BSN or another advanced degree can make the difference between thriving and stagnating in your career. Tap into the articles presented in this year’s education guide for tips and thoughtful advice on nursing education. The American Nurse Education and Career Guide, provides you with facts, figures, other nurses’ experiences, and tons of other resources to help you in your journey.

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Current Journal

Reimagining Nursing expands with Phase II grants

Safe patient handling and mobility

Practice-ready new RNs?

Harnessing the promise and potential of virtual nursing

Progress and promise

The American Nurses Association (ANA) Innovation Awards recognize nurses who are creating change from the inside out, not only for themselves, but…

From outrage to action

This column could be filled many times over with stories of nurses who’ve experienced workplace violence, but I’d like to highlight these…

Everyday Ethics: Balancing beliefs with care

I’m a nurse in a med–surg unit. A patient I recently cared for who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis decided to voluntarily stop…

Support leadership to evolve the nursing profession

The multifaceted crisis in healthcare threatens patient outcomes and system sustainability. The American Nurses Foundation’s Mental Health and Wellness Survey revealed that…

Rapid Response

Acute myeloid leukemia

An 80-year-old man received a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia. He’s been hospitalized for a month, including an ICU stay during which he received…

Acute kidney injury: A quick diagnosis aids recovery

A 35-year-old man arrives at the ED with severe weakness, diarrhea, nausea, hypotension, and tachycardia, which began after he finished a 100-mile race the…

Aspiration: Blocking the airway

You’re caring for a 75-year-old man admitted to your unit with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke, left-sided weakness, and dysphagia. He receives continuous feedings…

Acute dystonic reaction

Acute dystonic reactions, movement disturbances, fall under the umbrella of extrapyramidal side effects. They’re associated with medications (including antipsychotics and antiemetics) that mediate dopamine.

Cystic fibrosis

A 48-year-old woman with a history of cystic fibrosis, is admitted to the surgical unit with a small bowel obstruction. At home, the patient…

Eclampsia

A 28-year-old woman who’s 8 months pregnant arrives at the obstetrics ED with right-side upper abdominal pain, a progressively worsening headache for the past…

Acute myeloid leukemia

An 80-year-old man received a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia. He’s been hospitalized for a month, including an ICU stay during which…

Acute kidney injury: A quick diagnosis aids recovery

A 35-year-old man arrives at the ED with severe weakness, diarrhea, nausea, hypotension, and tachycardia, which began after he finished a 100-mile…

Aspiration: Blocking the airway

You’re caring for a 75-year-old man admitted to your unit with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke, left-sided weakness, and dysphagia. He receives…

Acute dystonic reaction

Acute dystonic reactions, movement disturbances, fall under the umbrella of extrapyramidal side effects. They’re associated with medications (including antipsychotics and antiemetics) that…

Practice Matters

Progress and promise

The American Nurses Association (ANA) Innovation Awards recognize nurses who are creating change from the inside out, not only for themselves, but also for healthcare systems and communities. Each year, winners of the individual nurse and nurse-led team awards provide updates on their progress over the past year as they advance their programs, services, research, or technologies

This article is available to American Nurses Association members and ANJ subscribers only.

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Oncology nurses and prognosis-related communication

Nurses’ knowledge and communication skills enhance informed decision-making for patients with cancer. Discussions with patients and families about a cancer diagnosis or recurrence typically…

Caring for veterans

Veterans have distinct determinants of health related to their military service and occupational exposures. With more veterans seeking care in the community, the American…

Advance care planning in the Black faith community

Advance care planning, a routine aspect of healthcare, helps individuals make decisions about future care by reviewing their values, goals, and wishes. However, many…

PTSD: Increase screening and treatment

Many nurse practitioners (NPs) provide care in medically underserved areas, some in one of the more than 1,400 free clinics throughout the United States.…

Support planetary health

Actions to promote and protect the environment Spring marks a time of renewal and reawakening with cleaning, planting, and other fresh starts,…

EBP, QI, and IS

Some use the terms evidence-based practice (EBP), quality improvement (QI), and implementation science (IS) interchangeably. However important differences exist. Clinicians must understand…

Catalysts of change

2025 Innovation Award winners close disparity gaps. Nurses’ insights and experience in developing solutions that matter illustrate The Power of Nurses™ in…

From the Ethics Inbox

Everyday Ethics: Balancing beliefs with care

I’m a nurse in a med–surg unit. A patient I recently cared for who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis decided to voluntarily stop eating and…

Everyday ethics: Responsibility and accountability

A few weeks ago, I was floated to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), which was seriously short-handed due to surgeries from a multiple-car accident.…

Everyday ethics: Privacy and trust

As a perioperative nurse, I understand I should ensure the privacy and confidentiality of my patients and their information while providing care throughout pre-,…

Everyday ethics: Prioritizing patients

It’s my understanding that a nurse’s primary commitment is to our patients. Recently, while working as a travel nurse, I’ve been concerned about some…

Ethics in everyday care

The pandemic, from its earliest days in March 2020, exposed not only a health and healthcare crisis but also deep inequities in our society.…

Improving obstetric care for Black patients

As a labor and delivery nurse, I’ve witnessed some of my Black obstetric patients suffer negative outcomes during their birthing experiences from what I…

Everyday Ethics: Balancing beliefs with care

I’m a nurse in a med–surg unit. A patient I recently cared for who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis decided to voluntarily stop…

Everyday ethics: Responsibility and accountability

A few weeks ago, I was floated to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), which was seriously short-handed due to surgeries from a…

Everyday ethics: Privacy and trust

As a perioperative nurse, I understand I should ensure the privacy and confidentiality of my patients and their information while providing care…

Everyday ethics: Prioritizing patients

It’s my understanding that a nurse’s primary commitment is to our patients. Recently, while working as a travel nurse, I’ve been concerned…

Community

Nurses in a children’s classroom: Showcasing nursing as a career choice

Breast cancer treatment game changer?

Are you running short of injectable opioids?

By Julie Cullen, Managing Editor, American Nurse Today In March, CNN reported on an opioid shortage caused by problems with manufacturing as…

A day in the life of a med-surg nurse

What is a 12-hour shift like for a registered nurse on a medical-surgical floor? I’ll break it down for you. Imagine you’re…

News

What’s Lost: Trump Whacks Tiny Agency That Works To Make the Nation’s Health Care Safer

COVID-19 patients fared worse on ECMO than non-COVID-19 patients: Study

What’s Lost: Trump Whacks Tiny Agency That Works To Make the Nation’s Health Care Safer

Sue Sheridan’s baby boy, Cal, suffered brain damage from undetected jaundice in 1995. Helen Haskell’s 15-year-old son, Lewis, died after surgery in…

COVID-19 patients fared worse on ECMO than non-COVID-19 patients: Study

Pneumonia patients with COVID-19 who required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) fared worse than those without COVID-19, according to a study that looked…

My Nurse Influencer

In sickness and in health: The parallels of weddings and nursing graduations

May and June mark the season of graduations and weddings—milestones that celebrate commitment, transformation, and new beginnings. There’s something vaguely matrimonial about a nursing…

The future of innovation in nursing is you!

Over the years, my definition of innovation has changed — I care less about the end product and more about the human-centered process used to create…

The case of the vanishing stethoscope

A 2001 study assessed the cardiac auscultation skills of 314 internal medicine residents from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The results…

The symbiotic relationship between nursing and design

Like nurses—who can use their degrees in a range of areas from clinical bedside care to research, education, entrepreneurship, history and more—professional designers also…

Nurses as Pilgrims

The travel writer Rick Steves describes three types of travelers: tourists, traveler, and pilgrims. I’d like to propose that those same terms can be…

Call to action: Support the reauthorization of the Lorna Breen Act

If you’ve worked as a nurse for any length of time, you already know the emotional toll this profession takes. But what’s harder to…

In sickness and in health: The parallels of weddings and nursing graduations

May and June mark the season of graduations and weddings—milestones that celebrate commitment, transformation, and new beginnings. There’s something vaguely matrimonial about…

The future of innovation in nursing is you!

Over the years, my definition of innovation has changed — I care less about the end product and more about the human-centered process used…

Multitasking: Gift or Nursing’s Curse?

A study that examined the cognitive mechanisms involved in task switching, particularly how executive control processes manage multiple tasks (think of the…

Syphilis eradication is still a long way off: Doxy-PEP can help

In the late 1990s, public health departments around the globe celebrated the prospect of eradicating syphilis. However, by the early 2000s, this…

Mental Health

Schwartz Rounds: Self-care at its finest

Schwartz Rounds® provide a structured forum for members of the interprofessional healthcare team (clinical and nonclinical) to share their vulnerability and openly…

From our readers…What bedside nurses can teach nursing leaders

Five years ago, while working in leadership I had a pivotal conversation with my superior regarding the need to “stop thinking like…

Critical Care

Anxiety attack or myocardial infarction?

The patient thinks she knows what’s causing her chest pain. Her nurse knows she must rule out myocardial infarction.

Fending off disaster for a frostbite victim

Without effective treatment, more than 40% of frostbite victims require digital amputation. Can Jonathan’s toes be saved?

Pediatrics

Helping patients who harm themselves

Why would someone deliberately hurt herself? The notion might seem odd—but as a nurse, you may encounter patients with signs of selfinjury (also called cutting, selfinflicted violence, self-harm,…

Acute flaccid myelitis

Nursing implications and public health Takeaways: Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a perplexing condition which, to date, has no concrete effective treatment.…

Cardiology

Recent advances in cardiac diagnostic and surgical procedures

New techniques expand the options for high-risk patients and cause fewer complications than conventional surgery.

Protect your patients from venous thromboembolism

How an evidence-based protocol for risk assessment and risk-based prophylaxis can decrease venous thromboembolism in your institution.

American Nurse TV

HealthCom Media, the publishers of American Nurse Journal, the American Nurses Association and Al Roker Productions collaborated to bring a few shining examples of the exemplary work being done by nurses in today’s very challenging healthcare environment to the American public.

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