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Inhaled therapies for cystic fibrosis: Current and future trends
Approximately 30,000 people in the United States have cystic fibrosis (CF), a chronic, progressive genetic disease characterized by thick, sticky mucus. In this autosomal recessive condition, a protei...
No drugs down the drain
You can use the questions and answers below when teaching patients about proper medication disposal.
Question: Why should I clean out my medicine cabinet?
Answer: It’s good to do a spring-cleaning. ...
NQF endorses more patient safety measures
The National Quality Forum (NQF) Board of Directors has endorsed 12 patient safety measures, including those related to patient falls, pressure ulcers, and healthcare-associated infections. The measur...
Teaching patients about FDA recommendations for proper medication disposal
Accidental exposure to medication in the home is a major cause of unintentional poisoning in children. Recent data show even child-resistant containers can’t completely prevent a child from taking med...
Just culture promotes a partnership for patient safety
Editor's note: This is first in a series of articles exploring the human side of patient safety.
Historically, hospitals have operated under the assumption that health care involves the isolated work...
Heparin labels change May 1
As of May 1, manufacturers of Heparin Sodium Injection, USP and Heparin Lock Flush Solution, USP are required to use labels that reflect the total drug content. Although the change is designed to prev...
Suffering and spirituality
In April 2007, two leading nurse ethicists at Creighton University’s Center for Health Policy and Ethics, Winifred Ellenchild Pinch, RN, EdD, FAAN, and Amy Haddad, BSN, MSN, PhD, assembled a group of ...
FDA warns women not to take valproate sodium drugs
On May 6, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned pregnant women not to use drugs including and related to valproate sodium because they can cause decreased IQ scores in children. Valproate...
To make health care better, I would...
To make health care better, I would...
...mandate every patient have a primary RN who knows the patient’s past health history, socioeconomic status, health risks, medications, and potential interacti...
Headlines from the Hill Dollars and...sense?
The 112th Congress continues to focus on fiscal matters. There is the looming "fiscal cliff" that Congress will have to face as the end of the year approaches and the new Congress begins. The ...
Herbal facts, herbal fallacies
Would you know what advice to give someone who’s using or considering using an herbal supplement? If not, it’s time you learned more about herbs. Millions of Americans use herbal remedies ...
Headlines from the Hill
Five months after the Sandy Hook shooting, it’s not clear if
Congress will take concrete steps to address gun violence.
The school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, once a...
FDA encourages prescribers to seek education on prescribing opioid pain meds
On March 1, 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it is joining health professional organizations in encouraging prescribers to seek education to safely prescribe opioid pai...
Study: Shortages of cancer drugs associated with medication errors and higher
A study in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy reports a survey of oncology pharmacists in the United States found that shortages of oncology drugs can cause treatment delays, lead to near ...
Act fast against severe hypoglycemia
John Burns, age 66, is transferred to your stepdown unit after 2 days in the cardiac care unit for a myocardial infarction (MI). Shortly after he’s settled, he uses his call bell to complain of ...
The next presidential election is right around the corner. Whom will ANA support?
Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Barack Obama, Rudy Giuliani, John Edwards, Mitt Romney, and quite possibly an actor from the TV show “Law & Order.” One of them could be sworn in as the next ...
Thinking it through: The path to reflective leadership
Reflective leadership is a way of approaching the work of being a leader by leading one’s life with presence and personal mastery. Learning to be present, to be aware and attentive to our experience w...
From our readers: Nurses leading from the middle
Nurse leaders are needed at all levels of the organization, especially in "the middle," which is commonly used to describe mid-level management positions. Middle managers are essential to the...
A new surgical intervention for reflux treatment
LINX is a new surgical procedure developed to treat chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Originally developed and tested in the United Kingdom, LINX was approved in the United States by the...
Astute assessment saves a patient with PE
John Monroe, age 72, is admitted to the cardiac unit with shortness of breath, chest pain, and fatigue. He has a history of diabetes, hypertension, and myocardial infarction (MI). You place him on a t...
Shiftwork sleep disorder: Raising awareness for yourself and your patients
More than 22 million Americans meet the criteria for shiftworker.
Among them are nurses, whose work schedules revolve around
the 24/7 needs of patient care. Nurses may be required to work
several ...
Post-intensive care syndrome: What it is and how to help prevent it
My family and I have needed counseling for psychological trauma stemming from my ICU experience. It wasn't the car accident itself (which I don't remember) that caused my post-intensive care syndrome ...
The healthy nurse
It sat idle on my desk for a few years, the white letters on the shiny red circle of the "Easy" button tempting me to approach. I couldn’t bring myself to indulge the urge to depress the circl...
Improving pain management: Call to action
Pain management has come a long way since Florence Nightingale witnessed the horrors of battlefield surgery. Yet many nurses believe it hasn’t advanced far enough. Nursing pain management expert...
Issues up close
VA, DoD nurse leaders work together to meet healthcare needs of service members, veterans
U.S. Air Force Col. Margaret McNeill, PhD, RN, CCRN, recently spent 6 months in Iraq at a military field hosp...