Ajn The American Journal Of Nursing - Behind The Article

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and clinical managing editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the October 2012 issue of the American Journal of Nursing. This month’s political illustration, leading up to the November presidential election, is the first cartoon to appear on AJN’s cover. This issue also offers two CE features: one on the psychosocial issues nurses should consider when interacting with women who carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation. The second CE explains the pathophysiology of celiac disease, its signs and symptoms, testing, treatments, and nursing implications. The first of a three-part “Legal Clinic” series discusses the legal implications of professional licensure. And of course, there’s News, an AJN Reports on healthcare reform and the homeless, Drug Watch, Journal Watch, Art of Nursing, Reflections, and more.

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy speaks with Edie Brous, an active defense lawyer for over 30 years. Her series, debuting in October 2012, is designed to educate readers on misconceptions around nursing board actions, what actions nurses should take if they are called before the board, and strategies to safeguard their nursing license.

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and clinical managing editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the September 2012 issue of the American Journal of Nursing. This month’s cover photos come from a new book called The American Nurse due to come out in late October. You can listen to a podcast interview with the author/photographer of the book, Carolyn Jones. This month offers two CE features: one on the five most common bariatric surgery procedures with illustrations and nursing implications. The second CE explains delirium as a common postoperative outcome in elderly patients, offers tools for assessment, intervention strategies, and includes a link to a related video from our “How to Try This” series. A clinical feature on biomarkers describes this clinical assessment tool that’s becoming part of every step of patient care, particularly for diagnosing illnesses. And of course there’s News, an AJN Reports on new regulations for pain medications, an iNurse article on tablet technology, Drug Watch, Journal Watc

Associate editor Alison Bulman interviews Carolyn Jones, who discusses her new book, The American Nurse. Rhonda Collins, MSN, RN, came up with the idea for the book as part of the American Nurse Project. Collins is vice president and business manager of infusion therapy/clinical nutrition company Fresenius Kabi USA, which supported the project. Jones traveled the country in search of “the best of the best” nurses, from those working with coal miners with black lung disease, to prison inmates, veterans, and some of the nation’s poorest populations. Knowing nothing about nurses when starting the project, by the end, Jones understood what nurses really do, witnessed how much of themselves they bring to patient care, and her 75 black-and-white portraits of them tell their stories with heart and profound respect.

Clinical managing editor Karen Roush interviews Acieta Small, who discusses her implementation of a staff education program for improved patient care while she managed a med-surge unit at New York University’s large teaching facility, Langone Medical Center, in New York City. A quality of care assessment of the unit, staffed with long-term nursing attendants and RNs, found that patient care services were negatively impacted by practice issues such as attendant accuracy with vital signs, recording intake and output, and communication among the technicians and nurses. Although the RNs were involved in continuing education opportunities, technicians were not. Nurses volunteered to lead an initiative to upgrade technicians’ skills by addressing their educational needs. Both collaborated to define staff roles, which enhanced their team spirit for better patient care.

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and clinical managing editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the August 2012 issue of the American Journal of Nursing. This month offers two CE features: one is original research describing the experiences of adolescents in an Australian inpatient behavioral program for the treatment of anorexia and how both nurses and patients’ perceptions of the program as a metaphoric prison hinders therapeutic relationships. The second CE feature begins a three-part series exploring the push for health information technology and it uses and effects on nursing. Other features include a quality improvement project implementing CE for patient care technicians, evidence-based management of acute infectious diarrhea, a historical piece from a male nurse who graduated in 1929, the story of how Korean nurses in New England joined together to increase access to care for their community, and a profile of a nurse who will be an Olympic torch carrier. And of course there’s News, an AJN Reports on

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and clinical managing editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the July issue of the American Journal of Nursing. This month offers two CE features: one is original research exploring the barriers and facilitators to implementing and following clinical guidelines among nurses. The second CE feature focuses on the use of therapeutic hypothermia following cardiac arrest – its uses, induction, adverse effects on nursing care. Other features include a look at commonly used dietary supplements by patients with diabetes, the use of community health workers in chronic care, especially diabetes, and the story of how an NP at a public hospital in San Francisco began a Bridge Clinic to improve transitions from hospital to primary care. And of course there’s News, an AJN Reports on disappearance of nurses at WHO, Drug Watch, Journal Watch, Art of Nursing, and Reflections, “ In the News”, and more. You can listen to podcast interviews with David Benton, CEO of the International Council

Patients transitioning from hospital to outpatient primary care often have difficulty navigating the health system, making appointments, understanding their care regimens. This is especially true for those with complex needs, poor education, lack of housing and resources. NP Eliza Newbold and physician colleague Michelle Schneidermann discuss how their clinic came to be with AJN’s editor in chief, Shawn Kennedy and describe its impact on patient transitions.

According to the ICN, there were approximately 200 nurses working for the WHO in 1968; today that figure has dropped to eight. Further, the position of Chief Scientist, Nursing and Midwifery, a directorate position, has not been replaced. AJN’s editor in chief Shawn Kennedy and clinical managing editor Karen Roush discuss the ramifications of the diminished nursing presence at the WHO with Benton and how ICN is putting pressure on the WHO to reinstate a nursing presence.

Boards of nursing exist to protect the public, and when they receive a complaint against a nurse, they must launch an investigation. AJN’s editor in chief Shawn Kennedy and Mangin, a nurse-turned-attorney, discuss what nurses need to know about how boards of nursing function and what to do if they come under investigation by a nursing board.

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and clinical managing editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the June issue of the American Journal of Nursing. This month offers two CE features: one (“Managing Menopause Symptoms”) the third installment in our series on women’s health, and the other describing von Willebrand Disease, a common bleeding disorder. There are also features on interdisciplinary team training, what to do if you come under investigation by a state board of nursing, a Safety Monitor column on negative pressure wound therapy, and an article from Australia describing one hospital’s reasons for and experience pursuing Magnet accreditation. And there are columns on Drug Watch, Journal Watch, Art of Nursing, Reflections, “In the News”, and more. You can listen to podcast interviews with authors of the Viewpoint on why teens shouldn’t need consent to receive the HPV vaccine and the piece on nursing boards

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States and the primary cause of cervical cancer. In this interview with AJN’s editor in chief Shawn Kennedy, author Dang reasons why she supports the passage of the California law allowing children 12 years and older to self-consent for preventive services to reduce transmission of STDs.

AJN’s editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy talks with author Ellen Baer about her historical article, in which she postulates that distinct periods in nursing’s early formal development were dominated by particular themes.

Interview with Marilyn H. Oermann, co-author of “Competence in CPR,” (May 2012) and with Jo Haag, Director Global Training, ECC Programs, American Heart Association and Mary Fran Hazinski, Professor, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, and Clinical Specialist, Pediatric Critical Care at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt and Senior Science Editor for the American Heart Association . (From left: Hazinski, Oermann, Haag)

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and clinical managing editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the May issue of the American Journal of Nursing. This month offers two CE features: one an original research piece (“The Effects of Active Warming on Patient Temperature and Pain After Total Knee Arthroplasty”), and the other a case study on posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. There are also features on maintaining competence in CPR, and two historical features – “Key Ideas in Nursing’s First Century” and a piece on the 50th anniversary of the coronary care unit, and columns on Drug Watch, Journal Watch, Art of Nursing, Reflections, “ In the News”, and more. You can listen to podcast interviews with authors of the CPR piece (as well as a video from the American Heart Association) and nursing ideas.

An estimated 62 million adult Americans lived with some type of disability in 2001-2005…”, explains researcher Suzanne Smeltzer in her introduction. And many of these people end up in hospitals and often feel unsafe. AJN’s editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy talks with author Smeltzer about her research and is joined by the authors (both of whom have disabilities from multiple sclerosis) of a companion piece who discuss their experiences.

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and clinical managing editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the April issue of the American Journal of Nursing. This month offers two CE features: one an original research piece (“Interactions of People with Disabilities and Nursing Staff During Hospitalization”), and the other a feature on underutilization of emergency contraception. There are also columns on Policy and Politics, Emerging Infections, and evidence-based management of cancer fatigue, plus Art of Nursing, Reflections, “In the News”, and more. You can listen to podcast interviews with the CE feature authors, too.

Despite the availability of effective contraceptive methods, unintended pregnancy continues to be a significant health problem for women throughout the world. Clinical Managing Editor, Karen Roush, talks to Kit Devine about her article on the underutilization of emergency contraception. They discuss some of the issues surrounding emergency contraception and Devine talks about how nurses can help increase awareness of emergency contraception, correct common misconceptions, and facilitate patient access.

AJN The American Journal of Nursing Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, with over 10% of the U.S. adult population living with OA, and by 2030, that number is expected to increase to 67 million adults. AJN collaborated with the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, and the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses on this project to engage nurses in the national public health initiative on OA. The multidisciplinary invitational symposium brought together 40 participants involved in research, practice, teaching or advocacy. AJN editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy discusses OA and the findings of the report with Laura Robbins (left) and Marje Kulesa, co-leaders of the project. To read the full report, go to http://journals.lww.com/ajnonline/Pages/SOS.aspx

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy present the highlights of the March issue of the American Journal of Nursing. This month features two CE offerings: original research on new nurses and the influence of the recession on their inclination to stay in their current positions and the first article in a two-part series on managing COPD. There is also a special online report, The State of the Science on Prevention and Management of Osteoarthritis (the executive summary will be available in print). Other notable articles include one by Susan Hassmiller showcasing several nurses who’ve gained seats on Boards, and examination of a common ethical issue- hiding medications in food. There’s also News, an archival piece on arthritis management, Reflections, Art of Nursing, and Drug Watch.