Assessing and managing patients with chronic subdural hematomaAugust 19, 2014Ruby Jacobs, age 84, arrives at the emergency department with a headache, which she says has gotten worse over the past week despite taking acetaminophen. Her past medical…
Bariatric surgical center accreditation improves survivalSeptember 4, 2014A decade of analysis shows that bariatric surgical center accreditation is linked to lower mortality and fewer postoperative complications, according to a study in the Journal of the…
Beware of oversimplifying mealtime insulin dosing for hospital patientsSeptember 4, 2014It’s lunchtime. Three of your patients are scheduled to receive rapid-acting insulin in addition to sliding-scale insulin. Mr. Jones, age 87, has type 2 diabetes. His blood glucose…
Blood type may affect cognition in later yearsSeptember 11, 2014People with blood type AB may be more likely to develop cognitive impairment in later years than people with other blood types, according to a study published in…
Bonding over body imageSeptember 21, 2014For many college students, the ever-present pressure to be thin has trumped the goal of being healthy. Females face body-image issues throughout their lifespan. Our society glorifies thinness.…
Calming the chaos: Simulated code interdisciplinary team trainingSeptember 21, 2014As a healthcare professional, you’ve probably witnessed the chaos and confusion that ensue when a “code blue” is called for a patient in cardiac arrest. This emergency requires…
Cancer survivorshipSeptember 22, 2014Cancer survivorship refers to the entire process of living with, through, and beyond cancer. A person is considered a cancer survivor from the time of diagnosis until death.…
Developing a sling management systemSeptember 5, 2014To avoid injuring their patients and themselves, healthcare providers must get in the habit of using safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) technology. In this supplement, national experts…
Developing shared governance leadersSeptember 4, 2014To obtain Magnet® recognition, hospitals must have structures and processes in place that ensure nurses participate in shared decision making. A shared governance (SG) structure meets this criterion.…
Documentation: You’ve got a lot to loseSeptember 8, 2014According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, fraud is “the intentional deception or misrepresentation made by a person with the knowledge that the deception could result…
Elements of a successful safe patient handling and mobility programSeptember 22, 2014To avoid injuring their patients and themselves, healthcare providers must get in the habit of using safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) technology. In this supplement, national experts…
Estrogen increases cannabis sensitivity in ratsSeptember 4, 2014A study in Drug and Alcohol Dependence has found that because of the presence of estrogen, female rats are at least 30% more sensitive than males to the…
FDA approves treatment for opioid-induced constipationSeptember 18, 2014On September 16, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Movantik (naloxegol), an oral treatment for opioid-induced constipation in adults with chronic non-cancer pain. Read more.
FDA clears glucose monitoring system for use in critically ill patients.September 26, 2014On September 24, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared a new indication for the Nova StatStrip Glucose Hospital Meter System, extending its use to critically ill…
From your ANA PresidentSeptember 2, 2014This month, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of a group of federal programs that have helped shape the face of nursing and health care. In 1964, U.S. lawmakers…
Headlines from HillSeptember 2, 2014Over the past year, the American Nurses Association (ANA) has reviewed political races across the country and met with candidates for Congress who seek ANA’s Political Action Committee…
Health, safety, & wellnessSeptember 10, 2014In an era of healthcare reform, organizations are beginning to implement interprofessional team-based care as a strategy to deliver high-quality care more effectively and efficiently. In 2011, the…
Implementing a mobility assessment tool for nursesSeptember 5, 2014To avoid injuring their patients and themselves, healthcare providers must get in the habit of using safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) technology. In this supplement, national experts…
IOM says end-of-life care needs not being metSeptember 18, 2014The U.S. healthcare system is not properly designed to meet the needs of patients nearing the end of life and those of their families, and major changes to…
Issues up closeSeptember 19, 2007Risky or excessive alcohol use is common, expensive, and underrecognized as a significant public health problem. It’s also not addressed adequately in healthcare settings. At least 38 million…
Launching a new season: Fall, football, and a focus on being the bestSeptember 21, 2014This issue of American Nurse Today marks the start of my new role as Editor-in-Chief, following Pam Cipriano’s long, successful tenure. Her shoes will be hard to fill,…
Liver injury from herbals/dietary supplements riseSeptember 4, 2014Liver injury caused by herbals and dietary supplements (HDS) increased from 7% to 20% in a U.S. study group over a ten-year period, according to an article in…
Making the business case for a safe patient handling and mobility programSeptember 5, 2014To avoid injuring their patients and themselves, healthcare providers must get in the habit of using safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) technology. In this supplement, national experts…
Multitasking with media devices may change brain structureSeptember 26, 2014According to a study in PLOS One, people who frequently use several media devices at the same time have lower grey-matter density in one particular region of the…
New exam for identifying concussionSeptember 11, 2014A study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine reports that a new test, Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS), was 90% accurate in identifying patients with concussion. The test…
New policy on disposing unused prescription drugs announcedSeptember 11, 2014On Sept. 8, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a new Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulation that will allow pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, and other authorized collectors to serve…
Prepare to care for patients of sizeSeptember 8, 2014To avoid injuring their patients and themselves, healthcare providers must get in the habit of using safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) technology. In this supplement, national experts…
Respiratory failure from a myasthenic crisisSeptember 3, 2014Nina Robbins, age 36, is admitted to the medical unit with pyelonephritis. She states she has had a fever above 102° F, back pain, vomiting, and painful urination…
Safe patient handling and mobility: A call to actionSeptember 5, 2014To avoid injuring their patients and themselves, healthcare providers must get in the habit of using safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) technology. In this supplement, national experts…
Standards to protect nurses from handling and mobility injuriesSeptember 5, 2014To avoid injuring their patients and themselves, healthcare providers must get in the habit of using safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) technology. In this supplement, national experts…
STOP: A strategy for dealing with difficult conversationsSeptember 21, 2014Monica is late for work again. June has body odor. Brian doesn’t comply with the hospital’s cell-phone policy. As a nurse manager, you know you need to do…
Structural empowerment and the Magnet® Model: A perfect fitSeptember 4, 2014Nursing literature abounds with descriptive and predictive studies of structural empowerment and its relationship to nurses’ trust, commitment, control over practice, intent to stay, productivity, job satisfaction, engagement,…
Teach-back essentials for cancer survivorsSeptember 4, 2014Patients who are cancer survivors may require education on a wide variety of topics, from nutrition to long-term follow-up needs. It’s vital that nurses ensure patients understand the in-formation…
The case for capnography in patients receiving opioidsSeptember 7, 2014It’s your worst nightmare: At 8 A.M., you walk into the room of Laura M, a 35-year-old patient who had surgery yesterday, for your morning assessment. She’s unresponsive. The…
The sliding patient: How to respond to and prevent migration in bedSeptember 8, 2014To avoid injuring their patients and themselves, healthcare providers must get in the habit of using safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) technology. In this supplement, national experts…
Transforming the culture: The key to hardwiring early mobility and safe patient handlingSeptember 5, 2014To avoid injuring their patients and themselves, healthcare providers must get in the habit of using safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) technology. In this supplement, national experts…
Using simulation-enhanced education and nurse-to-nurse mentoringSeptember 4, 2014Every day, on every shift, rural nurses experience geographic and professional isolation. Confined by geography, staff in rural hospitals practice as generalists by necessity, seeing illness and injury…
When to refer patients for hospice careAugust 19, 2014What happens to patients once they reach the maximum benefit of traditional curative treatment? For many, hospice should be considered. A point on the healthcare continuum, hospice offers…
Why timing is crucial in leadershipSeptember 22, 2014For the last 2 years, Karen, the manager of a critical care unit, has been laying the groundwork for her unit to apply for the Beacon Award for…
