5 benefits of digital care management
A typical encounter within the healthcare system can be overwhelming and complicated, depending on the patient’s health condition. For example,…
patient care
A geriatric family-centered care model for hospitalized elders
This innovative model has helped reduce falls and pressure ulcers, and RN turnover rates have dropped as well.
A kinder, gentler workplace
Others may not notice your courtesy, but they will notice your rudeness. (more…)
A new patient-acuity tool promotes equitable nurse-patient assignments
When a 2 acuity rating isn’t truly a 2
A practical approach to disclosing conscientious objection
How to ensure quality patient care while following your moral compass. Takeaways: A foundational value of nursing is to respect…
A ROADMAP involves patients and families in the plan of care
This electronic tool keeps patients and families informed on key aspects of care.
A troubled life, a difficult death
Editor’s note: National Homelessness Awareness Week is November 10-18. Like many of our homeless patients, “Sarah” was a bundle of…
A word about patients’ psychic experiences: Listen
In her dream, a young pediatric nurse answered the phone at the nurses’ station and was told to go to…
Act fast against anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis can kill within minutes unless the victim receives immediate treatment. Calling a rapid response team to the scene can avert disaster.
Act immediately against anaphylaxis
An antibiotic infusion triggers a near-fatal reaction.
Adult obstructive sleep apnea: Taking a patient-centered approach
Sleep apnea causes sleep deprivation and, over time,
can lead to serious physiologic changes.
Advancing nurses’ roles in care coordination
By Elizabeth Moore Traditionally, care coordination has been a central role for nurses, who are key to ensuring patients’ multidimensional…
Adventures in virtual meetings
Tired of unproductive staff meetings held at inconvenient times? Had it up to here with being interrupted when trying to express your opinion? Maybe it’s time to explore alternatives to the traditional in-person meeting. One hospital unit did just that, and their online meeting forum helped them create new protocols in record time.
Advocacy: A modest proposal
Nurses are with patients during some of the most important moments in their lives.
AHRQ provides guide for patients being discharged
Download “Taking Care of Myself: A Guide for When I Leave the Hospital,” from the Agency for Healthcare Research and…
AHRQ releases new guide for patients
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released a new guide to help hospitals better prepare patients to…
An evidence-based approach to creating a new nursing dress code
How should nurses dress? Should you wear a white uniform? Is jewelry appropriate on the job? A survey reveals what patients really think.
ANA looks to bipartisan legislative solutions in 2019
One of the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) most critical functions is to promote and implement a federal legislative agenda that…
ANA signs on to letter affirming positive change in U.S. Public Health Service
ANA signs a letter of concern about proposed creation of an Office of the National Nurse.
Aortic aneurysm: Causes, clues, and treatment options
Increase your ability to recognize aortic aneurysms and provide postop care.
Are Accountable Care Organizations doomed to fail?
The value of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) is a hot topic in health care today. The authors of a Wall…
Article provides guidance for nurses working with patients with vision loss
“Focusing your care: Working with clients with vision loss” in the Canadian Nurse provide informative guidance for nurses. Read the…
Baby pictures: Preserving precious moments in the NICU
For one nurse, taking pictures of preemies develops into an art form.
Beasts, gods and FaceTime: The anguish of visitor limitations during the COVID-19 pandemic
For the foreseeable future, efforts to minimize human contact will remain in place as part of the response to the…
Beasts, gods and FaceTime: The anguish of visitor limitations during the COVID-19 pandemic
For the foreseeable future, efforts to minimize human contact will remain in place as part of the response to the…
Behind the curtain: Creating an in situ simulation experience
Go "behind the curtain" to learn how simulation is being used to prepare hospital-based nurses for urgent situations.
Being a nurse, but also a daughter or son to our aging parents
Nurses come to the profession to provide care for individuals and, in some cases, populations. It is what we do…
Beyond customer service
Many nurses don’t like to hear their patients called “customers” or be told to provide “customer service.” This expert explains how to lose the lingo and adapt the principles of customer service to patient care.
Beyond the donor shortage: Mechanical help for the failing heart
For patients with severe heart failure, ventricular assist devices are being used in more ways than ever.
Breaking down diversability barriers to improve patient well-being
Many of us make assumptions based on a person’s appearance, behavior, our personal experiences, and what we believe that person…
Buying time for patients with acute liver failure
Managing the complications of acute failure, so your patient’s liver has time to regenerate.
Calming a thyroid storm
Saving a patient’s life may rest on recognizing which findings are red herrings and which hold the key to the crisis.
Care without gaps
ANA, nurses nationwide work to improve transitions in care Mary Maryland, PhD, APRN,BC, ANP, has had to rely on good…
Care, not chaos
A new document created by ANA and other groups delineates emergency care principles for psychiatric patients.
Carefronting: An innovative approach to managing conflict
Nick Chase is an emergency department (ED) charge nurse. He and Michelle Stanley have worked together for the past 3…
Caring for a homeless adult with a chronic disease
For homeless people, chronic illnesses can be hard to manage. Here’s what you should know about assessing these patients and developing a practical discharge plan.
Caring for chronic wounds: A knowledge update
Assess wounds more precisely, identify wound-related problems earlier, and intervene more effectively.
Caring for patients in alcohol withdrawal
Be sure you’re prepared to care for patients with this condition
Caring for patients with metabolic syndrome
A precursor to serious complications, this dangerous condition is on the rise among Americans.
Caring for patients with Parkinson’s disease
Learn about assessment, intervention, and teaching for patients with this progressive debilitating disease.
Case Study: How much is enough?
Three-year-old Christy* has been in the hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) since birth, when she was diagnosed with McCune-Albright…
Central venous catheter dressings put to the test
A nursing team’s research findings lead to hospital-wide savings.
Cerebral salt wasting: An overlooked cause of hyponatremia
Commonly confused with SIADH, cerebral salt wasting can result from such neurologic conditions as subarachnoid hemmorrhage, intracranial hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, intracranial surgery, and brain trauma.
Challenging nursing’s sacred cows
Do you routinely instill normal saline solution into endotracheal tubes before suctioning? Use only the Glasgow Coma Scale for neurologic assessment? Evidence on these and other sacred cows of nursing practice might surprise you.
Chest tube care: The more you know, the easier it gets
Many nurses find chest tube care intimidating—but it doesn’t have to be. Once you understand the basics, you can be…
Cleveland is backwards on health care reform
On June 22, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released a 142-page draft of the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017…
Clinical humility: A humbled patient care
There’s a story that goes something like this: An elderly man falls down a flight of stairs at home. In…
Color awareness: A must for patient assessment
Color “blindness” may help minimize social and economic disparities, but can impede accurate patient assessment. The author explains why nurses should practice color awareness and tells how to adapt skin inspection for dark-skinned patients.
Communicating with intubated patients: A new approach
Learn how one hospital improved communication between nurses and intubated patients through the use of an algorithm,
new communication devices, and a focused communications course for nurses.
Consider a career as a wound, ostomy, and continence nurse
In 2008, hospitals, extended-care facilities, and home-health agencies will face these regulatory and patient-care issues: (more…)
CRRT spells success against acute renal failure in critically ill patients
Why critically ill patients with acute renal failure need continuous renal replacement therapy.
DC Fil-Ams speak out on Trump and immigration
WASHINGTON, DC – What was billed as a briefing by immigration and justice department officials to provide the Filipino community…
Dealing with the dangers of dog bites
Dog bites can cause serious or even fatal injuries. Find out how to assess and intervene when your patient has been bitten.
Dementia: The quiet thief
The nurse’s note read, “not orientated to place and time due to dementia.” Several hours of general anesthesia for a…
Doing the most good
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 provides many benefits.
Easing the anguish of Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease afflicts not just the person who has it but everyone in that person’s orbit. Learn how to help family members caring for patients with this nursing research.
Ending the cycle
Nurses nationwide work to eliminate partner violence.
Evaluating the neurologic status of unconscious patients
Assessing the neurologic status of unconscious or comatose patients can be a challenge because they can’t cooperate actively with your…
Evaluating the neurologic status of unconscious patients
Assessing the neurologic status of unconscious or comatose patients can be a challenge because they can’t cooperate actively with your…
Faith, community, and health: Partnerships with good neighbors
Our editor-in-chief turns a spotlight on faith and community partnerships.
Family presence during resuscitation: Who decides?
Effective communication enables nurses and physicians to negotiate a collaborative decision that honors the family’s wishes.
Far from home, bringing smiles to children’s faces
During my three decades as a nurse, volunteering on a medical mission has always been on my “to do” list.…
For once, ethics and the ‘bottom line’ agree
Author Leah Curtin discusses the dangers of bottom-line thinking.
From our readers: Do we really know who our patients are?
Both nurse leaders and educators need to teach and model not only day-to-day nursing skills but the importance of connecting…
From our readers: How a ‘45-year-old STEMI’ showed me the human side of nursing
I worked as an emergency medical technician-paramedic for almost 8 years in a rural area before I became a registered…
From our readers: My first code—A retrospective report of a premature promotion and a crisis situation
The elevator’s walls were covered in bronze and silver raised metal squares that gave the appearance of a magic eye…
From our readers: One nurse’s journey into patienthood
As I lay on the table staring up at the ceiling tiles and waited for my biopsy to begin, I…
From our readers…A case study of implementing an injury prevention program
The authors explain how they successfully implemented an injury prevention program.
From our readers…At the Bedside
As my parents were approaching the age of downsizing their earthly possessions, I became the recipient of the generational family…
From our readers…Creating a patient/family advisory board
Today’s nurse is challenged to procure the skills and knowledge to facilitate healthy work environments in order to achieve best…
From our readers…Hourly rounding benefits patients and staff
Studies have shown hourly rounding decreases call light usage and unit noise levels, increases patient satisfaction, and reduces falls. Some…
From our readers…Nonadherent or compassion challenged?
Over the years nurses have labeled patients who choose (knowingly or unknowingly) to disregard instructions that could potentially alter their…
From our readers…Sustaining evidence-based practice initiatives
Successful implementation and diffusion of any practice change requires careful strategic planning. Considerations are involving appropriate persons throughout the effort,…
From your ANA President
As healthcare professionals, we all know CPR to mean “cardiopulmonary resuscitation,” and we have all been trained in how to…
From your ANA President
Helping nurses strengthen their delegation skills
Geriatric assessment: Essential skills for nurses
How to assess the integumentary and musculoskeletal systems, head, neck, face, and functional status
Get Savvy to syncope
Syncope is a common occurrence and is commonly benign. But sometimes a swoon signals a serious underlying condition. Learn what causes syncope and how to assess and intervene for a patient who has just experienced it.
Getting a clearer picture on delegation
ANA and NCSBN team up to create a joint statement on delegation.
Going with the flow of infusion nursing
Thanks partly to the new Medicare and Medicaid hospital reimbursement rules and the trend toward home health care, infusion nurses…
Gold standards: ANA and nurse experts promote using national guidelines to inform, intervene with patients
Nurses can help consumers understand and incorporate key healthcare recommendations into their lives.
Healing the wounds: Quantum nursing V
Quantum nursing demands that nurses honor each person’s
humanity, promote independence and autonomy, and offer the
opportunity for individuals to redefine for themselves who they are and how they choose to live.
Helping patients navigate end-of-life issues
An ANA Workgroup is drafting position statements on end-of-life issues.
Holistic nursing: Focusing on the whole person
How well do you know holistic nursing? Expand your knowledge with this article.
Hospice and palliative care
What nurses don’t know about hospice and palliative care can hurt the patient and family.
How dolls can help patients with dementia
Dolls can work wonders on geriatric dementia patients.
How electronic health records are improving health care for elderly patients
Innovative information technology tools help ensure patients get the right care at the right time.
How Magnet® designation affects nurse retention: An evidence-based research project
A positive work environment and nurse satisfaction can improve nurse retention.
How to fight fatigue in patients with cancer
“Cancer’s paint box includes many shades of fatigue.” —Dana Jennings, a patient with prostate cancer who blogs for The New…
How to meet the challenge of disruptive patients
Disruptive patients can be challenging for even the most experienced nurse. Learn how identify those at high risk for disruptive behavior and strategies for defusing a person who is being disruptive.
ICU Diary: The Gift of Care™
As an ICU nurse you’ve probably encountered the critically ill patient who is experiencing hallucinations, delusions, and confusion. Healthcare providers…
Identifying complete heart block in elderly patients
How to use auscultation to distiguish sinus bradycardia from complete heart block in geriatric patients.
Improving HCAHPS scores the old fashioned way
Hospitals seeking to raise their HCAHPS score should focus on old-fashioned values—courtesy, kindness,respect, discipline, and commitment.
Improving health care with systems thinking
We strive to reach the theoretical goal of perfect patient care. But is defect-free health care possible? Or are avoidable deaths from preventable…
Improving nurses’ attitudes toward patients with substance use disorders
Editor’s note: The author uses substance use disorder as a diagnostic term. However, some of the research he cites uses a different term, such…
Improving palliative care and communication in the ICU
Looking for more information on evidence-based practices? Read this first article in a series from the National Institute of Nursing Research.
In good company: Perspectives on sitting with patients
A quick Google search for “patient sitter jobs” yields 47 million results. A similar search for “registered nurse jobs” produces…
Innovating better patient care
While the idea of innovation can conjure images of high-tech gadgets and artificial intelligence, more often innovation is a result…
Interprofessional education
Combining skills and knowledge from different disciplines enhances patient care. By Joanne Disch, PhD, RN, FAAN In 2003, the…
Interwoven art of understanding
Communicating with crochet.
Is intentional rounding effective?
A recent study from the National Institute for Health Research focuses on intentional rounding in hospitals to understand its efficacy…
Issues up close
Family nurse practitioner (FNP) and nurse-midwife Karen Holder, FNP-BC, CNM, MHS, sees patients at a large primary care clinic in Flagstaff, Arizona, as well as at small satellite units in remote communities sprinkled around northern Arizona.
Issues up close
Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) are increasing in number and in value to the healthcare delivery system. As more people…
It’s all in the translation
Read about a valuable health-education resource for foreign-language patients.
Keeping asthma at bay
NIH has updated its guidelines on asthma diagnosis and treatment. Learn how to help your asthma patients lead fuller lives.
Keeping cardiac arrest patients alive with therapeutic hypothermia
Create a protocol for this lifesaving intervention at your facility.
Keeping it simple
Given the fast pace of nursing work environments, implementing innovative ideas or processes in clinical settings can be challenging. This…
Last Breath: The ethics of pharmacologic paralysis
Should patients receive neuromuscular blockers while mechanical ventilation is withdrawn?
Magnet Recognition Program® update
The director of the National Magnet Recognition Program® previews the upcoming conference and reveals other
activities at the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Make a difference as a rehabilitation nurse
From September 21 to 27, we celebrate National Rehabilitation Awareness Week by promoting the value of rehabilitation, highlighting the opportunities…
Making community health care culturally correct
Cultural awareness can lead to better outcomes.
MARS®: The new frontier in treating acute liver failure
A type of dialysis, MARS removes toxins and replaces
lost liver functions.
Medical futility: A nurse’s viewpoint
Caring for a medically futile patient can be a wrenching emotional experience. Learn how to cope with the complex medical, ethical, and legal issues and help patients and families make difficult decisions.
Meeting your patients spiritual needs
When a patient says, “I’m afraid I’m going to die,” do you offer empty reassurances? Find an excuse to leave the room? Read this article to learn about simple spiritual interventions that can aid a patient in spiritual distress.
Mission: Achieve continual readiness for Joint Commission surveys
Surviving surprise visits can be easier if you use the author’s “E” approach.
Motivational interviewing: A collaborative path to change
Michael had diabetes and a history of elevated blood glucose levels. A long-time drinker, he seemed to have no interest…
Moving toward a restraint-free environment
Moving toward a restraint-free environment A behavioral health nurse provides guidance on how to eliminate the need for physical restraints…
Neonatal nurses: Providing care at the beginning of life
About 400,000 low-birth-weight infants are born in this country every year. Their survival rates have been improving steadily, thanks to…
New report says more than 13% of Medicare patients experience adverse events during hospital stay
A new report from the Department of Health and Human Services says an estimated 13.5% of Medicare patients experience adverse…
NP with breast cancer: “Listen to your patients”
By Julie Cullen, Managing Editor, American Nurse Today Bridgett Spillers, FNP-C. Photo credit: Jaime Rogl Photography In 2015, Bridgett Spillers,…
Nurising’s contribution to patient care
Editor’s note: This month’s column is cowritten by Rebecca Patton and Margarete L. Zalon, President of the American Nurses Foundation.…
Nurses caring and sharing
From the U.S. to Uganda, in sleek American hospitals and makeshift Afghan clinics, nurses give of themselves to transform lives. Compelled by a deep passion to aid people in need, nurses help sustain human dignity and humanity through their caring presence and heart-to-heart sharing.
Nurses’ role in managing pain
ANA offers guidance to help address a national and global epidemic. ON MY WAY INTO WORK at the burn center…
Nursing homes: Good intentions, sad realities
Trained as a licensed practical nurse in 1948, after being a nurse’s aide in Rochester, New York during World War…
Nursing peer review: Raising the bar on quality
A nursing peer-review process at a Magnet hospital drives exemplary outcomes and promotes a more professional environment.
Nursing practice and work environment
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 18% of Americans smoke cigarettes and more than half of…
Of artichokes and angry patients
How is an artichoke like an angry patient? What can you do to diffuse anger.
On breaking a bone for the first time…at age 59
Look, I’m a nurse, and I’ve probably seen a thousand broken bones in the last 35 years. Well, not actually…
Overcoming the fear of tonic-clonic seizures
A thoroughly rational approach to the most frightening of seizures.
Paget’s disease: A therapy update
Pain, arthritis, fractures, and skeletal deformities are calling cards of Paget’s disease. A new one-dose drug therapy can produce extended remission.
Parish nursing: Reclaiming the spiritual dimensions of care
Faith-based nursing provides autonomy, creativity, flexibility, and the chance to provide whole-person care.
Parish nursing: Reclaiming the spiritual dimensions of care
Faith-based nursing provides autonomy, creativity, flexibility, and the chance to provide whole-person care.
Partner with interpreters to prepare patients for discharge
Interpreters are valuable partners when you need to teach a patient who speaks a language you don’t speak. Here’s how to achieve an effective collaboration.
Patient care in the dawn of the genomic age
Application of genetics and genomic science to health care is emerging in full force and having a powerful effect on nursing…
Patient-centeredness as algorithm
Patient-centeredness is a process that must be owned by all, from top to bottom.
Phenytoin: Keep patients in the range and out of danger
When you administer paternal and enteral phenytoin (Dilantin), make sure your patient stays free from seizures and drug toxicity.
Pheochromocytoma: Not your everyday diagnosis
Recognizing this rare condition requires knowledge – and some creative thinking.
Pointers for pediatric respiratory assessment?
Even if you rarely care for children, make sure you know which respiratory assessment findings are red flags.
Prevailing over acute pancreatitis
How to manage this complex condition correctly to avoid severe complications.
Preventing the high-pressure complications of abdominal compartment syndrome
Avoid multiple organ failure with early monitoring and early intervention.
Protect your patients from venous thromboembolism
How an evidence-based protocol for risk assessment and risk-based prophylaxis can decrease venous thromboembolism in your institution.
Providing effective communication to patients who are deaf or hard of hearing
Nurses have a legal duty. Communication is the bedrock of patient care. If a patient can’t comprehend the care being…
Providing optimal care for patients with central catheters
Confused about central catheters? Here’s what you need to know.
Psychiatric emergencies in med-surg patients: Are you prepared?
Rodney, age 47, was admitted to the hospital 2 days ago with rib and femur fractures and facial contusions. He appears well nourished and well groomed.
Putting a stop to postop nausea and vomiting
GI distress after surgery is a scary prospect for patients, and an all-too-common reality. But it isn’t inevitable. Learn how to minimize your patients’ risk and relieve their symptoms.
Putting an end to patient overcrowding
Serious patient-flow problems call for more than just quick fixes. In some facilities, the culture must be transformed before patient bottlenecks can be banished. Read about one hospital’s system-wide cure for its throughput blues.
Puzzling over family presence: Word search at the bedside
The patient’s family makes an initial judgment about a nurse within 60 seconds—so your first words are crucial. Find out how to make every second count.
Pyelonephritis
Early identification results in a positive outcome. Candance Walker* is a 28-year-old woman who arrives in a wheelchair in the…
Q&A with the Executive Director of AWHONN
In May, we celebrate Nurses’ Week, Women’s Health Week, and Mother’s Day. In the spirit of these celebrations, we asked…
Questioning common nursing practices: What does the evidence show?
To improve patient outcomes, nurses need to challenge practice traditions.
Reaping the unexpected benefits of nursing research
The nursing leadership of our ICU and Coronary Care Unit (CCU) realized that the time had come to conduct a…
Recognizing nurses who enrich our lives and the world
National Nurses Week, celebrated annually from May 6-12 and ending on the birthday of Florence Nightingale, is a time for…
Recognizing, preventing, and managing delirium in hospital patients
Delirium affects 30% to 40% of hospitalized older adults but often goes unrecognized. This article discussed its pathophysiology and risk factors, assessment techniques, and preventative strategies.
Reducing ambulance diversions without compromising care
How one community hospital dealt with the twin problems of a saturated emergency department and ambulance diversions.
Reflection and action
Continuing to work together is key in 2021. In just a few weeks, a new year will be upon us.…
Research 101: Forest plots
Patient care decisions must be made based on the current best evidence, and nurses critically appraise many kinds of research…
Reversing neuroleptic malignant syndrome
Without quick thinking and a call to the rapid response team, this reaction to atypical antipsychotics can kill.
Reversing SIADH
When a cancer patient’s thirst increases and urine output decreases, suspect syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone.
Robotic nurses: No substitute for real RNs
For the past decade, care innovation has exploded with new tools and technology. Keeping up with all of the new…
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.
Saving lives with continuous ST-segment monitoring
Manay dangerous ischemic events are clinically silent. Continuous ST-segment monitoring gives early warning of the silent ischemia that many other diagnostic methods fail to detect.
Self-mutilation: The cutting truth
People who mutilate themselves excel at hiding their injuries. Find out how to identify self-mutilators and nurture their trust.
Senior care: Are we prepared for the impending healthcare crisis?
Ready or not, we’re on the brink of a senior healthcare crisis.
Sepsis: Stopping an insidious killer
How to recognize sepsis in time and use the therapies recommended by the Surviving Sepsis Campaign.
Shhhhhh! Quiet zone
Nurses play a significant role in helping patients to get the sleep they need.
Speeding to save a stroke victim
The swift response of the healthcare team helps a patient avoid the most devastating effects of a stroke.
Spotlight on three nurse researchers: ANF grants help build expertise to benefit patients and nurses
Nurse researchers play a vital role in health care throughout this country. Their work can make a huge difference in…
Spotting and stopping increased ICP
Rising intracranial pressure calls for fast action.
Staff development educators: Helping to improve patient outcomes
Nurses have long focused on providing high-quality, evidence-based care to help achieve better patient outcomes—and staff development educators are crucial…
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.
Study reviews literature on patient-centered medical home
A systematic review article in November’s Annals of Internal Medicine found the current evidence isn’t sufficient to determine the effects…
Study: Acute care elders unit shortens hospital stay, maintains patients’ functional abilities
June’s Health Affairs includes a study of an Acute Care for Elders Unit, which found that length of stay was…
Study: Patients needing mental health care linger in EDs
A new study from the Foundation for Healthy Communities highlights the challenges of ensuring patients in the emergency department (ED)…
Suffering and spirituality
Read these excerpts on suffering and spirituality from Nursing and Health Care Ethics: A Legacy and a Vision.
Suppressing a COPD flare-up
Nursing vigilance helps a patient with chronic obstructive oulmonary disease stave off respiratory failure.
Survey: Nurses Spend 53% of Shift on Tasks Besides Patient Care
Survey: Nurses Spend 53% of Shift on Tasks Besides Patient Care
Take Note – April 2007
A monthly round-up of clinical, practice, and career news, updates, and alerts.
Take Note – January 2009
A monthly round-up of clinical and practice news and alerts.
Take Note – May 2009
A monthly round-up of clinical and practice news and alerts.
Take Note – Sept/Oct 2009
Patients lose when nurse staffing is insufficient Heavy workloads and insufficient staffing affect patient care, according to about 2,000 nurses…
Taking the ICU to the Patient
How one rapid response team prevents cardiac arrest and provides other life-saving benefits outside the ICU.
Teaching Ostomy Care
WEB EXCLUSIVE – More information on teaching patients ostomy care. Please download PDF for best viewing.
Teaching ostomy patients to regain their independence
Make sure your ostomy patients leave the hospital with the knowledge and skills they need.
Teaching ostomy patients to regain their independence
Make sure your ostomy patients leave the hospital with the knowledge and skills they need.
Teaching patients to tame their hypertension
This review of the six classes of antihypertensives tells you what you need to know and what you need to teach patients.
Teaming up to improve the quality of surgical care
Using Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) to produce better patient outcomes
Tending to all their needs: Advance care planning for pediatric patients
B is a 12 year old boy who suffers from cardiomyopathy following an acute viral illness. His condition is stable,…
The Babies Doe: Finding middle ground
The author explores ethical questions about caring for a baby with profound birth defects and offers a nursing answer.
The caring-quilting connection
Even if you’re not a quilt connoisseur, you’re sure to appreciate the beauty and handiwork of this nurse’s quilt. Its creator sees profound parallels between quilting and nursing.
The five P’s spell positive outcomes for ARDS patients
Protect your ARDS patients from danger with perfusion, positioning, protective lung ventilation, protocol weaning, and prevention of complications.
The freeing force of laughter
By reciting wacky dialogue from a scene in a Monty Python movie, Mary Delisle, RN, interrupted the negative thought patterns of a patient mired in dread and dispair.
The frontlines of patient care: How one nurse showed appreciation for Nina Pham
Amy Duncan, RN, is an ED and neonatal ICU nurse at Trinity Mother Frances Health System in Tyler, TX. When…
The little things we do
In December 2001, the graduating class of New York University’s College of Nursing asked me to give a speech during…
The magnetic draw of information technology
With a shrinking workforce and more complex healthcare, how can nurses raise the bar on clinical excellence? One hospital uses health information technology to improve efficiency and reduce unnecessary errors – and has gained Magnet status in the process.
The Maslow effect: A humanist legacy for nursing
In the late 1960s, psychologist Abraham Maslow was moved by the kindness of the nurses and nursing students he encountered…
The value we bring
Nurses represent the best value in health care.
The voice of the consumer
This month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) begin reporting patient experience data from its Hospital Consumer Assessment of…
Therapeutic storytelling in nursing practice
Storytelling is a useful way to promote holistic care. The next time your patient shows poor coping ability, you might want to ask him to tell a story about what he’s experiencing.
To sleep, perchance to heal
Sleep doesn’t come easily for ICU patients. Many suffer chronic sleep deprivation, which can raise stress levels, depress immune responses, and impair wound healing. To help them sleep, some ICU’s are enforcing regular quite times.
Top 10 care essentials for ventilator patients
In a wide variety of settings, nurses are increasingly likely to care for patients on mechanical ventilators. Let’s assume you’re…
Tracheostomy care: An evidence-based guide
To promote positive outcomes in patients with trach tubes, nurses need to stay up-to-date on best practices and develop and maintain the necessary skills.
Trends and consequences: Tune into your patient’s patterns
A case scenario underscores the risks of failing to analyze a patient’s clinical trends.
Tune into the healing power of music
Music can decrease patients’ pain and anxiety, lower their pulse and blood pressure, and reduce their need for sedation.
Understanding MCS
More research is needed to increase our understanding of multiple chemical sensitivity.
Unleash the healing power of pet therapy
A pet visit may do the trick for your patient.
Urinary incontinence: No one should suffer in silence
Start the conversation: Don’t let embarrassment prolong the problem.
Using evidence-based guidelines to help patients stop smoking
Helping your patients stop smoking is one of the most important things you can do to protect their health. Now evidence-based guidelines are available to guide your interventions.
Using the FOUR Score scale to assess comatose patients
Move over, Glasgow. There’s a new coma scoring tool in town.
Viewpoint: Caring Science meets Heart Science: A guide to authentic caring practice
Editor’s note: Viewpoint highlights the thoughts, opinions, and expertise of well-known nurse leaders. We welcome your comments about these thought-provoking…
Warfarin therapy and pharmacogenomics: A step toward personalized medicine
How genetic testing ensures that patients start warfarin therapy at their personal-best doses.
What every nurse needs to know about the clinical aspects of child abuse
Child-abuse cases can be the mot difficult ones for nurses to cope with. But with the right knowledge and tools, you can care for abused children more effectively.
What medical groups say about health care bill
There is a lot of controversy surrounding the health care bill pending in the Senate. Where can someone go to…
What to expect from correctional nursing
Takeaways: Correctional nursing is a growing specialty that’s evolving to meet the needs of incarcerated populations in a variety of…
What works: Physician and nurse rounding improves patient satisfaction
In 2013, a provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) included the concept of value-based…
What you should know about neurogenic shock
Neurogenic shock must be diagnosed and treated early to limit the effects of hypotension and bradycardia and restore adequate tissue oxygenation.
What your patient would like you to know about TBI
Communication and compassion are key to facilitating recovery. By Holly Carpenter, BSN, RN Staff Sergeant Sarah Zimmerman, United States Army,…
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.
Why making the rounds makes sense
Nursing rounds are making a comeback – but this time, they’re based on research and structured for maximum efficiency.
Why some people are healthy, and others are not
What we know…and how long we’ve known it By Leah Curtin, RN, ScD(h), FAAN Why do some people stay healthy,…
