Self-compassion in practice

2025 Readers’ Choice

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing plans to revise nurse training to include self-care behaviors, emotional intelligence, reflection, and situational awareness. Self-care involves providing the love, kindness, and practices needed to maintain one’s mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Self-compassion, one modality of self-care, entails directing understanding, love, and kindness inward in the same way one would extend those feelings to another experiencing a difficult time.

Cannabis and healthcare: Complicated policies and laws

2025 Readers’ Choice

In 2023, the ANA recognized cannabis nursing as a specialty. Soon, a plethora of educational programs emerged—from hour-long clinical courses to master’s degrees in medical cannabis science and business. However, variability in language and concepts have plagued the study and practice of marijuana-related healthcare, as has the uneven legal and regulatory landscape. Nurses must understand not only the clinical expertise required to enter this emerging area but also the history of research, policy, and politics.

Cannabis and healthcare: Complicated policies and laws

In 2023, the ANA recognized cannabis nursing as a specialty. Soon, a plethora of educational programs emerged—from hour-long clinical courses to master’s degrees in…

Self-compassion in practice

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing plans to revise nurse training to include self-care behaviors, emotional intelligence, reflection, and situational awareness. Self-care involves…

Nursing-led M&M conferences

The implementation of nursing-led morbidity and mortality conferences (NMMCs) in our neonatal intensive care unit emerged after experiencing several adverse patient outcomes and identifying nursing knowledge gaps related to certain diagnoses. With the goal of improving the quality of nursing…

Eat, Sleep, Console

When people experience opioid use disorder in pregnancy, the fetus has prolonged exposure to the opioid. At birth, abrupt cessation of this exposure may lead to infant withdrawal symptoms, traditionally known as neonatal abstinence syndrome. However, neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome…

Female external urinary catheters: A nurse-led intervention

Indwelling urinary catheters (IUCs), although frequently overused according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are necessary for acute and chronic medical care. For example, the CDC notes several indications for their use, including urinary retention or obstruction,…

Nitrous oxide: Myths and misconceptions

Nitrous oxide (N2O) has been used as an analgesic during childbirth since the late 1800s, almost exclusively outside of the United States, until it resurfaced around 2011. A resurgence in use, coupled with widespread lack of knowledge about the modality,…

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From Shortages to Solutions: Supporting Nurses and Strengthening Teams

Who handles the handling?

Gastrointestinal Whole-Patient Care

Collaboration in Patient-Centered Care Planning: Navigating Oncology

Simulation: Preparing for workplace violence

Current Journal

American Nurses Foundation reflects on a year of impact, innovation, and The Power of Nurses™

Thriving under pressure

Have you ever served?

Effective discharge education using the teach-back method

Nurses’ voices matter in payment regulations

Regulatory advocacy is one of many important tools the policy and government affairs team at the American Nurses Association (ANA) uses to…

American Nurses Enterprise News, November 2025

CMS commits $75 million for long-term care nursing workforce Funding offers a critical opportunity to close staffing gaps, improve care quality, and…

Game on!

With education, nursing staff can improve their knowledge of patient safety, infection prevention, and organizational policies. But how effective is game-based learning?…

Thriving under pressure

In 2020, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) issued a call to action for academic leaders to address the mental…

Continuing Education

Dress for success: Wound dressing basics

Some nurses find wound dressing selection intimidating and frustrating. Businesswire estimates that more than 5,000 wound care products exist in the United States, in a myriad of shapes and sizes, each designed to address different wound characteristics and stages of…

Comprehensive nursing approach to hepatitis B and C

HBV and HCV pose significant health risks. In their chronic form, years after initial infection, both viruses can result in severe health issues, including liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and deaths related to viral hepatitis. Nurses have an important role to…

ESCAPE from delirium

Falls in hospitals frequently coincide with delirium, a common yet sometimes unrecognized comorbidity among geriatric patients. Delirium is characterized by sudden, rapid cognitive impairment…

Naloxone education for nursing staff

In 2021, 4 years after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency, the Centers for…

STIs: Antibiotic resistance and treatment challenges

Since the discovery of multidrug-resistant infections, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci, concern has grown regarding antibiotic resistance among sexually transmitted infections…

Premature ventricular complexes

Your patient has heart failure exacerbation, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, chronic renal failure, and depression. She says that she feels lightheaded…

Dress for success: Wound dressing basics

Some nurses find wound dressing selection intimidating and frustrating. Businesswire estimates that more than 5,000 wound care products exist in the United…

Comprehensive nursing approach to hepatitis B and C

HBV and HCV pose significant health risks. In their chronic form, years after initial infection, both viruses can result in severe health…

ESCAPE from delirium

Falls in hospitals frequently coincide with delirium, a common yet sometimes unrecognized comorbidity among geriatric patients. Delirium is characterized by sudden, rapid…

Naloxone education for nursing staff

In 2021, 4 years after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency, the…

Education and Career Guide

Education can be the key to professional success. Whether you’re a new or experienced nurse, returning to school to get your BSN or another advanced degree can make the difference between thriving and stagnating in your career. Tap into the articles presented in this year’s education guide for tips and thoughtful advice on nursing education. The American Nurse Education and Career Guide, provides you with facts, figures, other nurses’ experiences, and tons of other resources to help you in your journey.

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Rapid Response

Crohn’s disease and GI perforation

JUSTIN REYNOLDS*, a 22-year-old man, arrives at the medical–surgical unit for a diagnostic workup after reporting abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss for 3 days. Justin doesn’t drink alcohol or use tobacco products. He reports a history of Crohn’s…

Serotonin syndrome

A 54-year-old woman arrives at the ED with flu-like symptoms, including fatigue, muscle aches, and a mild fever. Her medical history includes depression, which she manages with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, and recurrent migraines treated with a triptan. Two…

Alpha-gal syndrome

A 67-year-old woman arrives at the ED in distress. She tells the ED triage nurse that about 3 hours after eating beef nachos, she…

Pericarditis

Pericarditis, an inflammation of the pericardial sac, typically occurs as a result of a viral infection. It’s most common in men between 20 and…

Malignancy-induced hypercalcemia

A 69-year-old man arrives in the ED with reports of persistent fatigue, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, excessive thirst, increased urination, and back pain for 3…

Acute myeloid leukemia

An 80-year-old man received a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia. He’s been hospitalized for a month, including an ICU stay during which he received…

Crohn’s disease and GI perforation

JUSTIN REYNOLDS*, a 22-year-old man, arrives at the medical–surgical unit for a diagnostic workup after reporting abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and weight…

Serotonin syndrome

A 54-year-old woman arrives at the ED with flu-like symptoms, including fatigue, muscle aches, and a mild fever. Her medical history includes…

Alpha-gal syndrome

A 67-year-old woman arrives at the ED in distress. She tells the ED triage nurse that about 3 hours after eating beef…

Pericarditis

Pericarditis, an inflammation of the pericardial sac, typically occurs as a result of a viral infection. It’s most common in men between…

Practice Matters

Have you ever served?

Although change is inevitable, experiencing several changes simultaneously can lead to significant stress. Each year, according to the Government Accountability Office, approximately 200,000 U.S. service members transition out of the military and enter a period marked by considerable life adjustments. Many veterans experience high levels of stress during this transition back into civilian life.

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Breast cancer: Personalized prevention for women

Through evidence-based education and shared decision-making, nurses play a vital role in closing knowledge gaps and empowering all patients at risk for breast cancer.…

We want you! Professional writing in nursing

Professional writing plays a vital role in nursing. By sharing clinical expertise, innovative strategies, and critical perspectives, nurse authors make meaningful contributions to both…

Geriatric urosepsis: Prevention and detection

Despite extensive research and updates to practice guidelines, urinary tract infections (UTIs) remain a common occurrence within long-term care (LTC) facilities. The Centers for…

Vital conversations

Nurses’ key role in engaging patients about vaccine safety, effectiveness VACCINATION is one of the most impactful public health interventions worldwide. The Centers for…

Ethics of disclosure in pediatric end-of-life care

A 17-year-old girl with a terminal diagnosis has an estimated 3 weeks to live. Both parents, who understand the situation, are religious…

Nursing science and shrinking support

Before she reaches the room, the nurse hears Olivia’s* wheezing. It’s spring tilling season in the rural community, and dust and agricultural…

Therapy animals in the Ukraine military conflict

In the fall of 2024, I presented my research on animal-assisted therapies with farm animals at the International Association of Human–Animal Interaction…

From the Ethics Inbox

Balancing life and death transitions

I’m an ICU Nurse at a hospital that frequently procures organs from patients who’ve given consent to donate on their driver’s licenses. In some cases, organ procurement organizations (OPOs) proceed before a deceased patient’s family arrives. How do I balance…

Everyday ethics: Addressing gun violence

As an RN working in the labor, delivery, and post-partum unit, I’ve witnessed the impact of gun violence on patients and families, both through direct injuries and broader psychological effects. Given the growing concerns about safety in healthcare settings, would…

Everyday Ethics: Supporting cultural values and health equity

I work in the obstetrics department of a community hospital. Our patients include immigrants and refugees who don’t speak English and have cultural practices…

Everyday ethics: Hear something, say something

Recently, I witnessed something that made me uncomfortable. I was surprised when one of my more senior nurse colleagues referred to a newly graduated…

Everyday ethics: Informed consent

As a study coordinator, I recruit participants to a randomized clinical trial that’s evaluating experimental drugs for renal cancer. One of the individuals who…

Everyday ethics: Balancing beliefs with care

I’m a nurse in a med–surg unit. A patient I recently cared for who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis decided to voluntarily stop eating and…

Balancing life and death transitions

I’m an ICU Nurse at a hospital that frequently procures organs from patients who’ve given consent to donate on their driver’s licenses.…

Everyday ethics: Addressing gun violence

As an RN working in the labor, delivery, and post-partum unit, I’ve witnessed the impact of gun violence on patients and families,…

Everyday Ethics: Supporting cultural values and health equity

I work in the obstetrics department of a community hospital. Our patients include immigrants and refugees who don’t speak English and have…

Everyday ethics: Hear something, say something

Recently, I witnessed something that made me uncomfortable. I was surprised when one of my more senior nurse colleagues referred to a…

Perspectives

Limiting access to graduate nursing education: A policy shift that threatens workforce stability and public health

Nurse offering ancillary support to child

We cannot carry this alone: The case for ancillary support in nursing

School nurse access can make a difference in zip code health disparities

Strategies to assist entry-level nursing students as they transition into practice

Limiting access to graduate nursing education: A policy shift that threatens workforce stability and public health

The pathway into nursing is rarely straightforward. I grew up in a working-class family—my father drove trucks, the women in my family…

We cannot carry this alone: The case for ancillary support in nursing

Burnout in high-acuity care is well documented. Emotional suppression, compassion fatigue, and moral distress can fracture even the most resilient clinicians. But…

School nurse access can make a difference in zip code health disparities

It’s high time school nurses take their rightful place, alongside teachers and counselors, within every American school. It isn’t just about student…

Strategies to assist entry-level nursing students as they transition into practice

We’re facing more of a challenge than ever with our new graduate nurses as they transition into practice. We’re experiencing a nursing…

Community

Classifying AI use in writing for publication

Strengthen health systems worldwide: Invest in nursing professional development

Remembering Eloise Richardson

During World War II, countless women answered the call to serve, stepping into roles that reshaped history and helped turn the tide…

Still new, still standing: A novice adjunct nurse educator in Texas

I entered nursing education with two feet in and my heart wide open. After years of bedside patient care, nurse preceptor experience,…

News

Excluding nursing from professions list limits graduate loan eligibility

Once a Patient’s in Custody, ICE Can Be at Hospital Bedsides — But Detainees Have Rights

May 1, 2025: Gov. Jared Polis prepares to sign a bill at the Colorado Capitol in Denver.

Wary of RFK Jr., Colorado Started Revamping Its Vaccine Policies in the Spring

As Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s dismantling of federal vaccine policy continues to roil the Centers for Disease…

Why Are More Older People Dying After Falls?

For a while, walking the dog felt hazardous. Earl Vickers was accustomed to taking Molly, his shepherd-boxer-something-else mix, for strolls on the…

My Nurse Influencer

You’re wearing that to work?

Few undergraduate programs pay as much attention to attire as nursing. At every clinical orientation, dress code policies are reiterated with the familiar warning: failure to comply may result in being sent home from the unit or the simulation lab.…

What’s new in the 2025 hypertension guideline?

The American Heart Association released its latest hypertension guideline in August 2025, establishing best practices for diagnosing and managing a disease that remains the leading preventable cause of death worldwide and a major contributor to mortality in the United States.…

What a résumé can’t tell you about a nurse

Composing a résumé may have become the great American performance art. Many are bloated with adjectives and carefully engineered to impress rather than reveal.…

What will you do with the time you saved?

Necessity is the mother of invention, so the proverb goes. Inventiveness is probably encoded in the human genome and has allowed our survival. Creating…

Publication extenders—A powerful tool for extending your article’s reach

You’ve worked hard to get your article published, so why should you put in more time? Because extenders can boost the uptake of your…

Why human flourishing matters in nursing

I had the honor of serving on the expert panel entrusted with the 2025 revision of the Code of Ethics for Nurses. Amid a…

You’re wearing that to work?

Few undergraduate programs pay as much attention to attire as nursing. At every clinical orientation, dress code policies are reiterated with the…

What’s new in the 2025 hypertension guideline?

The American Heart Association released its latest hypertension guideline in August 2025, establishing best practices for diagnosing and managing a disease that…

What a résumé can’t tell you about a nurse

Composing a résumé may have become the great American performance art. Many are bloated with adjectives and carefully engineered to impress rather…

What will you do with the time you saved?

Necessity is the mother of invention, so the proverb goes. Inventiveness is probably encoded in the human genome and has allowed our…

Mental Health

Animal assistants in healthcare

An animal may provide just the benefit patients need. Prepandemic, I had the pleasure of traveling to the National Institutes of Health…

And the music plays on…

In the mid-1970s, I was a graduate nurse starting my career at a large, urban hospital. One of my patients, an elderly…

Critical Care

Knowledge of intravascular determination

Current nursing practice uses secondary responses (heart rate, blood pressure, and urine output) to monitor intravascular volume and fluid responsiveness. However, stroke…

Q&A with David Westman, Executive Director of the Emergency Nurses Association

What is the Emergency Nurses Association? The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), an ANA organizational affiliate, is devoted to safe practice and safe…

Pediatrics

Newborn positioning, plagiocephaly screening, and parent education

Nonsynostotic plagiocephaly is a relatively common craniofacial healthcare concern for pediatric clinicians. Skull asymmetry occurs when an infant’s soft skull becomes flattened…

Children and post-traumatic stress disorder

Many children and adolescents around the world have been victims of at least one traumatic event—child abuse and neglect, war, school shootings,…

Cardiology

Take Note – February 2009

WEB EXCLUSIVE! A monthly round-up of clinical and practice news and alerts.

Recent advances in cardiac diagnostic and surgical procedures

New techniques expand the options for high-risk patients and cause fewer complications than conventional surgery.

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HealthCom Media, the publishers of American Nurse Journal, the American Nurses Association and Al Roker Productions collaborated to bring a few shining examples of the exemplary work being done by nurses in today’s very challenging healthcare environment to the American public.

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