July 2013 Vol. 8 No. 7 Archives

July 2013 Vol. 8 No. 7

Adult obstructive sleep apnea: Taking a patient-centered approach

July 11, 2013

Sleep apnea causes sleep deprivation and, over time, can lead to serious physiologic changes.

Emergency cardiac drugs: Essential facts for med-surg nurses

Advocating for patients in an era of drug-delivery problems

July 11, 2013

Learn what steps you can take to help patients avoid drug contamination and cope with drug shortages.

Battlefield nursing at the Boston Marathon

July 11, 2013

Three yellow balloons danced through the air, hovering over the finish line after being released by the bomb blast that brought the 2013 Boston Marathon to a catastrophic…

CDC provides resources related to MERS-CoV

July 11, 2013

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released infection prevention and control recommendations related to Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). As of July 12, no…

Dealing with difficult people

July 11, 2013

Jackie Jacobs is a charge nurse in a busy intensive care unit. She prides herself on being able to get along well with almost everyone on her team.…

FDA approves first nonhormonal treatment for hot flashes

July 11, 2013

On June 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Brisdelle (paroxetine) to treat moderate to severe hot flashes associated with menopause. Brisdelle, which contains the selective…

work environment steady good better karen daley nurse ana

From your ANA President

July 11, 2013

Registered nurses spend a great deal of their time working. A full-time nurse may spend in the neighborhood of 59,000 hours on the job, if not more, in…

Headlines from the Hill

July 11, 2013

ANA contributes to enhanced National CLAS Standards

Health, safety, & wellness

July 11, 2013

Safe patient handling and mobility standards now available

Human factors engineering can improve patient safety

July 11, 2013

Knowing how nurses interact with the environment can help safeguard patients.

Is your patient at risk for cerebral edema?

July 11, 2013

Learn the telltale signs of brain swelling and find out which patients are most at risk.

Is your wound-cleansing practice up to date?

July 11, 2013

Do you know how to choose-and correctlyuse-the appropriate agent to clean your patient’s wound?

Issues up close

July 11, 2013

Healthcare worker and patient safety: The inextricable link

Medication adherence report gives U.S. C+

July 11, 2013

“2013 Medication Adherence in America: A National Report 2013” gives people in the U.S. with chronic medical conditions a C+ grade. The report, from the National Community Pharmacists…

Polymyalgia rheumatica: A possible cause of pericardial effusion

July 11, 2013

Suspect polymyalgia in patients who continue to decline after treatment for pericardial effusion.

Preventing feeding tube misconnections

July 11, 2013

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a website dedicated to the issue of tubing and Luer misconnections. The website includes a special section on prevention. Read…

Pump up your PowerPoint® presentations

July 11, 2013

Effective use of visual aids promotes audience engagement.

Quantum change: Flapping a butterfly’s wing

July 11, 2013

Tiny quantum changes can have widespread consequences, transforming the world in untold ways.

Readers Respond

July 11, 2013

Reactions to our special education section Thank you for the special section highlighting timely topics in nursing education ("Insight on Education," May 2013). As a nurse educator, I…

Say it isn’t so: Eradicating the fear of retaliation

July 11, 2013

Many patients are too intimidated to ask a healthcare provider about their care, fearing retaliation if they’re seen as confrontational or complaining.

Severe hypoglycemia leads to a seizure

July 11, 2013

The team scrambles to save a patient with diabetes.

Study: Former prison inmates at risk for hospitalization

July 11, 2013

A study in JAMA Internal Medicine reports that former prison inmates have a higher risk for hospitalization than the general population. About 1 in 70 former inmates are…

Study: HPV increases risk of esophageal cancer

July 11, 2013

A meta-analysis published by PLOSOne found that human papillomavirus (HPV) triples the risk for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Read more

Tired of caring? You may have compassion fatigue

July 11, 2013

Do you have trouble remembering what drew you to nursing? Do you take alternative paths through the unit to avoid running into a patient’s family members? Do your…

WHO releases guidelines for antiretroviral drugs in HIV

July 11, 2013

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released “Consolidated Guidelines on the Use of Antiretroviral Drugs for Treating and Preventing HIV Infection.” Access the guidelines.