April 2016 Vol. 11 No. 4 Archives

April 2016 Vol. 11 No. 4

A conversation about the ethics of staffing

April 7, 2016

Editor’s note: In March 2016, Leah Curtin RN,ScD,FAAN, a living legend in nursing for her work in ethics, was asked to address the American Nurses’ Association meeting on…

An activity menu for older adults

April 7, 2016

You are caring for Mrs. R, a 75-year-old woman admitted to your hospital with pneumonia. After a few days, Mrs. R starts frequently ringing the call bell. She…

ANA sharps injury prevention stakeholder group

April 7, 2016

Continued efforts by ANA to enhance healthcare worker safety resulted in the formation of a sharps injury stakeholder’s group in 2015. The group meets quarterly via conference calls…

Blood test can detect concussion one week after injury

April 7, 2016

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a biomarker that can indicate concussion, can be detected in the blood up to a week after head injury, according to a study…

Early results from immunotherapy in patients with advanced leukemia positive

April 28, 2016

A small, early study in the Journal of Clinical Investigation reports that 93% of patients with advanced leukemia were in remission after immunotherapy. Read more and access the study.

Evaluation of practice: Small-volume intravenous medication administration via neonatal peripherally inserted central catheter lines

April 7, 2016

Medications administered intravenously in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are often less than 3 mL in volume. However, guidelines from manufacturers of neonatal peripherally inserted central catheter…

FDA approves new drug for chronic lymphocytic leukemia

April 14, 2016

On April 11, the U.S. the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Venclexta (venetoclax) for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who have the chromosomal abnormality…

FDA proposed ban on powdered medical gloves

April 7, 2016

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed a ban on most powdered medical gloves in the U.S. Read more

FDA proposes ban on ESDs for treating self-injurious behavior

April 28, 2016

On April 22, the U.S. the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a ban on electrical stimulation devices (ESDs) used for self-injurious or aggressive behavior because “they present…

Frequently asked legal questions

April 4, 2016

Hours per patient day: Understanding this key measure of productivity

April 7, 2016

Tracking HPPD helps to ensure each of the units in a hospital are meeting financial targets in order to remain financially healthy. Administrators, charge nurses, and clinicians can…

Incident of ear infections in first year of life has decreased

April 7, 2016

A study in Pediatrics reports that the rates of ear infections during an infant’s first year have declined; the investigators suggest that higher rates of breastfeeding, use of…

Managing pain in frail elders

April 7, 2016

Managing pain in any older adult poses unique challenges. But older adults who are frail are more likely to experience chronic pain, acute pain, or both. What’s more, they stand a greater chance that…

Our Readers Respond — More on preventing medication errors

April 7, 2016

After reading this article (“Preventing medication errors by empowering patients”), I felt pleased that safety measures have been elevated regarding administering medication to hospital patients. I do agree that efforts made to limit medication…

Our Readers Respond — Nurse staffing and the patient experience

April 7, 2016

I found this article (“Nurse staffing and patient experience outcomes: A close connection”) by Nell Buhlman very interesting and logical. I believe that a patient experience depend very…

Preventative treatment for adult survivors of sexual assault

April 7, 2016

A 21-year-old woman arrives for a scheduled annual well-woman exam at the local family planning clinic where you work. She tells you that 2 nights ago, while at…

Quiz time — April 2016

April 7, 2016

Which statement related to hyperglycemia in patients with diabetes who are receiving nutritional support is correct? a. Incretin hormones stimulate the actions of glucagon. b. Incretin hormones increase…

Tacrolimus effective in treating ocular graft-versus-host-disease

April 14, 2016

Compared to methylprednisolone, topical doses of ultra low-dose tacrolimus, an immunosuppressive medication, is equally effective and is associated with fewer hypertensive side effects in treating ocular symptoms associated…

Viewpoint: Lessons learned from nurses in rural Uganda

April 7, 2016

It’s still dark outside our tiny pup tent, and the air feels humid after the sudden torrential downpour the evening before. The melodies of unusual songbirds welcome the…

What works: Enhancing bowel recovery after colorectal surgery

April 7, 2016

The average length of stay (LOS) for patients undergoing colorectal surgery is 5 to 10 days, depending on the type of surgical procedure. Key factors affecting LOS following…