April 2026 Vol. 21 No. 4 Archives

April 2026 Vol. 21 No. 4

2025-2026 Trends Survey

April 1, 2026

This year’s survey indicated continuing struggles to find and retain nurses. When managers and clinicians were asked to name the most important issues affecting nursing, many cited burnout,…

American Nurses Enterprise News, April 2026

April 1, 2026

ANA president recognized on TIME100 Health list, 2026 Individual Membership Division election: Call for nominations, The Year of The Power of Nurses™—National Nurses Week 2026, & ANA’s formal…

Communicating with patients about firearm safety

April 1, 2026

Nurses frequently need to ask personal and sensitive questions, even in the absence of an established therapeutic relationship. Through typical healthcare interactions, disclosures about violence, risk, and firearm…

Elevating the transition-to-practice experience

April 1, 2026

This new enterprise’s nurse residency program standardization efforts focused on creating an optimal transition-to-practice experience. The restructuring reflects the new system’s nursing vision and desire to cultivate abundant…

How philanthropy is helping nurses heal

April 1, 2026

Three years of growth, resilience, and shared leadership The story of the American Nurses Foundation’s (ANF) Nurse Well-Being: Building Peer and Leadership Support program begins during one of…

Inaugural health equity awards recognize change-makers

April 1, 2026

[Pictured Above: ANE CEO Angela Beddoe presents Maryland Governor Wes Moore with the inaugural American Nurses Foundation Health Equity Legacy Award.] The American Nurses Foundation (ANF) recognized five…

Nurse residency programs

April 1, 2026

High-quality nurse residency programs include formal orientation and onboarding, trained preceptors, mentors, and didactic learning focused on clinical reasoning, communication, and patient safety. Other components include opportunities for…

Oxytocin and well-being

April 2, 2026

Nursing is fundamentally relational. Beyond technical skills, nurses provide presence, touch, and emotional containment elements increasingly recognized as biologically powerful. A growing body of research suggests that oxytocin,…

Practicing with epilepsy

April 1, 2026

Many nurses hesitate to disclose their epilepsy diagnosis or request accommodations due to fears of discrimination, job insecurity, or stalled advancement—concerns described in American Nurses Association guidance regarding…

Prime advocacy

April 1, 2026

Every June, leaders from the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) constituent and state nurses associations (C/SNA) and organizational affiliates (OA) gather in Washington, DC, to conduct the business of…

Respectful care for gender-diverse patients

April 1, 2026

During a change-of-shift handoff, I informed the oncoming nurse that a transgender patient uses she/her pronouns. The nurse responded, “I don’t subscribe to this trend of declaring pronouns.…

Spinal cord compression and cauda equina syndrome

April 1, 2026

Teaching patients about CES and SCC red flag symptoms (respiratory distress, loss of sensation, severe pain, sexual dysfunction, loss of bowel or bladder control) and when to go…

The first OTC birth control pill

April 1, 2026

Opill, the first over-the-counter oral contraceptive approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has the potential to address challenges related to access and affordability. Nurses have a…

The team therapist model

April 1, 2026

Nurses experience significantly more shared suffering and loss than those in other caring disciplines. If not mitigated, this can lead to disproportionate levels of burnout, absenteeism, and intent…

Workforce wisdom

April 1, 2026

In an emotionally raw and riveting fireside chat, Mercedes Wells described her trauma in November 2025 of being discharged from a hospital while in active labor—only to give…

2025-2026 Trends Survey

This year’s survey indicated continuing struggles to find and retain nurses. When managers and clinicians were asked to name the most important issues affecting…

American Nurses Enterprise News, April 2026

ANA president recognized on TIME100 Health list, 2026 Individual Membership Division election: Call for nominations, The Year of The Power of Nurses™—National Nurses Week…

Communicating with patients about firearm safety

Nurses frequently need to ask personal and sensitive questions, even in the absence of an established therapeutic relationship. Through typical healthcare interactions, disclosures about…

Elevating the transition-to-practice experience

How philanthropy is helping nurses heal

Three years of growth, resilience, and shared leadership The story of the American Nurses Foundation’s (ANF) Nurse Well-Being: Building Peer and Leadership Support program…

Inaugural health equity awards recognize change-makers

[Pictured Above: ANE CEO Angela Beddoe presents Maryland Governor Wes Moore with the inaugural American Nurses Foundation Health Equity Legacy Award.] The American Nurses…

Nurse residency programs

Oxytocin and well-being

Nursing is fundamentally relational. Beyond technical skills, nurses provide presence, touch, and emotional containment elements increasingly recognized as biologically powerful. A growing body of…

Practicing with epilepsy

Many nurses hesitate to disclose their epilepsy diagnosis or request accommodations due to fears of discrimination, job insecurity, or stalled advancement—concerns described in American…

Prime advocacy

Every June, leaders from the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) constituent and state nurses associations (C/SNA) and organizational affiliates (OA) gather in Washington, DC, to…

Respectful care for gender-diverse patients

During a change-of-shift handoff, I informed the oncoming nurse that a transgender patient uses she/her pronouns. The nurse responded, “I don’t subscribe to this…

Spinal cord compression and cauda equina syndrome

Teaching patients about CES and SCC red flag symptoms (respiratory distress, loss of sensation, severe pain, sexual dysfunction, loss of bowel or bladder control)…

The first OTC birth control pill

Opill, the first over-the-counter oral contraceptive approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has the potential to address challenges related to access and…

The team therapist model

Nurses experience significantly more shared suffering and loss than those in other caring disciplines. If not mitigated, this can lead to disproportionate levels of…