Sepsis beyond the hospital
Nurses are on the frontline of preventing sepsis in the community. Early recognition of sepsis symptoms is essential to initiate timely interventions, avoid rehospitalization, and prevent poor outcomes.
Paying it forward
As a nurse leader in the federal government, LT MeShondra Collins, MSN, RN, CRRN, NEA-BC, manages a 50+ staff nursing team in her civilian role at Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, part of the VA Maryland Heath Care System, and…
From trauma to post traumatic growth
My 94-year old grandfather told me a story of a mentor from his church. She was a nurse during the 1918 influenza pandemic that infected nearly 500 million people, killing 50 million globally. She had just finished nursing school and…
Why some people are healthy, and others are not: Part 2
Once you’ve decided that early childhood development is one key to a healthy life, you’re forced into a world that’s part neurobiology and psychoneuroendocrinology, part immunology, and part sociology. We know from developmental neurobiology that billions of neurons in a…
Innovative end-to-end total arthroplasty care
JOINT INFECTION after arthroplasty can be devastating, requiring long-term antibiotics, additional surgery, and pain management, and it can lead to disability. Infection also can result in out-of-pocket expenses, time away from work, and reliance on caregivers.
Killing for profit
Reinforcing hospice’s valuable services after disturbing court case (more…)
Suicide assessment and follow-up care
Suicide is a preventable and growing public health risk, and nurses are in a prime position to provide assessment and follow-up care. Many nurses lack sufficient education to assess suicide, but a growing body of information is available.
ANA responds to Supreme Court rulings
The U.S. Supreme Court handed down three key rulings this summer in cases that the American Nurses Association (ANA) had been monitoring, two that protect the rights of vulnerable populations and another that erodes insurance coverage for preventive reproductive services…
Inspire, innovate, and influence
Let’s work together to tackle public health issues. With National Nurses Weekcoming soon, we’ll be publicly recognized for our many positive contributions to healthcare at the bedside and beyond. While celebrating and looking back on all that we’ve accomplished, I…
Leadless pacemakers: A new technology in cardiac pacing
Learn about the nursing implications of these innovative devices. Takeaways: The leadless pacemaker is a right ventricular single chamber pacemaker used to treat symptomatic bradycardia. The leadless pacemaker eliminates the complications of conventional pacemakers related to leads and surgical pocket complications.…
Cross-training: Preparing for disasters beyond the pandemic
A three-phase approach addressed immediate needs and enhanced nurses’ skills and confidence. Editor’s note: This is an early release of a web exclusive article for the March 2021 issue of American Nurse Journal. When the first surge of COVID-19 hit…
Pulmonary hypertension: Consider the “zebra”
Looking beyond the obvious diagnosis when a patient doesn’t have the expected response to treatment may enhance positive outcomes.
Managing pain in palliative care
Effective management requires patient advocacy. Pain in all stages of care—from acute to chronic—can result in debilitating and distressing effects that leave patients feeling as though they have no control. To advocate on behalf of patients, nurses must understand the…
ANA survey finds PPE shortages persist, reuse practices rise
The American Nurses Association (ANA) released new findings from a nationwide COVID-19 survey that indicate personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages persist and reuse practices for single-use PPE are on the rise, despite a lack of standard practices and evidence of…
Conversations as self-care
One intervention in my nursing practice is to facilitate intentional conversations. When I first started my role as a psych-mental health APRN in 2016, I was approached by our patient experience department for ideas to support their staff working in…
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 in humanity’s darkest hour. They served as mechanics, nurses, codebreakers, factory workers, and spies. They fulfilled their duties…
What are your shift pain points?
Staffing—it’s complicated. As a frontline nurse, you acutely feel the pain when plans to adequately staff units go awry. As a nurse leader, you are constantly challenged by the impact of limited resources, in search of a staffing strategy to…
Retaining novice nurses
A dedicated new nurse council aids retention. Takeaways: High nurse turnover comes with costs that are great both to the nursing talent pool and to the financial resources of an institution. Novice nurses experience the greatest risk of turnover. It…
Eating disorders are the most lethal mental health conditions – reconnecting with internal body sensations can help reduce self-harm
Did you know that anorexia is the most lethal mental health condition? One person dies from an eating disorder every hour in the U.S. Many of these deaths are not from health consequences related to starvation, but from suicide. Up…
Our heritage, our future: Why we celebrate nursing
The global community stands together to honor nursing’s important role. Every year, someone asks, “Why single out nurses for a weeklong celebration? Every profession should be celebrated.” Usually a debate ensues with opinions and past experiences getting plenty of airtime.…