Communicating assertively is a learned skill. Use the “look, think, and act” model to evaluate and improve your communication skills.
June 2007 Vol. 2 Num. 6
Do you remember when?
It’s time for new nursing graduates to join your work environment. Will you be a supportive colleague of their entry…
Exploring massage therapy as a career option
A nurse-turned-massage therapist found that hands-on interaction with massage clients reconnected her to one of the most fulfilling aspects of nursing – contact through caring, noninvasive touch.
Five credit card traps that can sink you
Anyone who uses credit cards (and who doesn’t) should read this article to learn about universal default and other credit pitfalls that can endager your financial future.
Getting a grip on GERD
Most patients manage the heartburn, nausea, and belching of gastroesophegeal reflux disease with lifestyle changes and medications. But some may experience a dangerous symptom cluster that warns of more serious problems.
June 2007 e-Edition
Click here to access the digital edition
Letters to the Editor – June 2007
Float or be fired? The February article “Protecting yourself from malpractice claims” states, “Don’t accept assignments if you’re not sure…
PA catheter controversy
Standard of care in the ICU – or object of overuse, abuse, and misuse? The authors explain why they believe PA catheter use may harm more critically ill patients than it helps.
Principles to live and work by: ANA Crafts document to guide RNs in environmental health practice
ANA issues principles delineating RN’s rights and responsibilities toward improving environmental health.
Safe lifting: The assessment imperative
If you lift or transfer patients, make “Assess first, lift later” your motto. Find out which critical patient and ergonomic factors you must evaluate before starting any patient-handling task.
Stop, look and listen to your patients and their families
Providing family-centered care means listening to, engaging, and collaborating with patients and their families.
Supporting our children’s access to quality health care and our nurses
A Congresswoman who’s also a nurse describes her efforts to improve children’s access to healthcare coverage.
Take Note – June 2007
A monthly round up of clinical, practice, and career news, updates, and alerts.
The aging face of HIV/AIDS
People older than age 50 account for at least 10% of HIV/AIDS cases in this country. Yet myths about older adults' behavior can blind us to the possibility that an older patient has AIDS. We need to learn more about older adults' sexuality and teach them about risky behaviors.
The joys of journaling and poetic expression
A journalist before becoming a nurse, Kristina Ibitayo has never abandoned her love for writing. Her poems celebrate true friendship and probe life’s possibilities.
Understanding the new standards for patient restraint and seclusion
The federal government recently made important changes to the rules and regulations on patient restraint and seclusion. Here’s what you need to know.
Using the FOUR Score scale to assess comatose patients
Move over, Glasgow. There’s a new coma scoring tool in town.
When all signs point to long QT syndrome
A patient’s brief loss of consciousness leads to discovery of long QT syndrome. By thinking fast and making all the right moves, you can stave off the threat of torsades de pointes.
When closeness breeds cruelty: Helping victims of intimate partner violence
We may not realize it, but most nurses have frequent contact with domestic abuse victims. Shame and fear of reprisal keep many victims from reporting the problem. Caregivers’ discomfort with the topic or unfamiliarity with its signs and symptoms can lead to missed opportunities to identify and help victims.
When does a nurse-patient relationship cross the line?
Our legal expert, LaTonia Denise Wright, BSN, RN, JD, responds to a reader’s question about professional boundaries and the legal and ethical ramifications of crossing them.
