The AJN Podcast

It used to be that evidence of sexual assault was not collected during the initial health exam unless the assault survivor had already initiated a report to law enforcement agencies. However, recognizing the trauma surrounding an assault, some states do conduct a forensic exam, store the evidence and allow survivors up to two years to decide whether or not to report the crime. Lead author Laurie H...

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and Clinical Managing Editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the March issue of the American Journal of Nursing . On our cover this month, young men pose at an AIDS service center in NYC, and our first CE, Nursing in the Fourth Decade of the HIV Epidemic, highlights changes in patients’ life expectancy, quality of life, policy, epidemiology, and nurses’ impact o...

Brous is a nurse and attorney, a contributing editor for AJN, and coordinates our legal column. AJN editor-in-chief discusses with Brous common problems that lead nurses to her door and what nurses can learn from this particular case.

Although pain following tonsillectomy varies from patient to patient, it is typically prolonged, constant and fairly severe. Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy speaks with the authors about their work in managing pain following the procedure, changes in guidelines and thinking around medications and schedules, and important considerations for increasing parental adherence to treatment plans.

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and Clinical Managing Editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the February issue of the American Journal of Nursing . In honor of black history month, our cover photo comes from a 1951 Life Magazine photo essay about a nurse mid-wife who served the poor, mostly black communities in rural South Carolina. Our first CE is an original research piece on changing trend...

Recent mass shootings may lead the public to believe all people with mental illness can become violent. Author Donna Sabella discusses with AJN editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy what role, if any, mental illness plays in violent behavior. She describes what the research shows and offers some pointers for assessing for violence risk.

In June 2010, we published Pittman’s article on ethical recruitment of foreign-educated nurses (FENS); now, Pittman and colleagues report on a survey of FENS regarding equitable treatment in the workplace. Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy discusses the findings with Pittman.

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and Clinical Managing Editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the January issue of the American Journal of Nursing . A painting on this month’s cover depicts a more modern provider in today’s changing healthcare landscape than Norman Rockwell’s typical portraits of the kindly older family doctor. Our first CE is an original research on employment-based discrimina...

Should there be an influenza pandemic, hospitals will need to rely on their employees who may be fearful for their own health or spreading the illness to families. In this study, research Sharon Martin and colleagues report on a survey of Maine nurses and their willingness to report to work and what factors might influence them to do so. Some of her results are surprising. AJN ’s editor-in-chief S...

If you’ve ever been a patient in a hospital, you know how noisy it is, even at night. One unit at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center decided to embark on a quality improvement project aimed at decreasing noise to promote sleep. Gina Murphy, the nurse manager of the unit and the lead author, discusses the project with AJN ’s editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy.

Linda Eisele-Hlubocky & JoAnne Sehr Clinical Managing Editor Karen Roush speaks with the authors about their article and the implementation of the Iowa Model to promote quality care through a family pet visitation program. They explain the benefits to patients, their families, and even to hospital staff.

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and Clinical Managing Editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the December issue of the American Journal of Nursing . A photo of a thirteen year-old girl with a trained therapy dog appears on this month’s cover, relating to our article on family pet visitation and a piece called “One Health at Kansas State University.” Our first CE this month is an original resea...

Hospitals invest considerable resources in recruiting and transitioning new nurses to practice, yet many leave after their first year. This qualitative research study explores what a cohort of these nurses have to say about what they found valuable – or not- in their orientation program. Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy discusses the issues with the lead author and what the key messages might be.

Also known as valley fever, this fungal infection is under-diagnosed or often misdiagnosed, leading to debilitating and chronic effects. Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy discusses the author’s personal experiences, why this disease seems to be increasing, and what she hopes nurses will take away from this article.

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and Clinical Managing Editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the November issue of the American Journal of Nursing . A nursing student appears on this month’s cover tying in with our original research piece on newly licensed RNs. Our first CE this month is an emergency article on IV access with an accompanying video. The second CE discusses a pilot study on asse...

AJN editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy sits down with Bev Malone at the NLN Summit in September 2013, in Washington, DC. Discussion ranges from NLN’s recent move of its headquarters to Washington DC from New York City, NLN’s strategies and priorities and status of the nursing faculty shortage.

Christine Waszynski & Patricia Veronneau Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy speaks with the authors about their nurse-led project to make better use of the “sitters” who were providing continuous observation for patients suffering from cognitive impairment, delirium and other conditions causing agitated behavior. Simple interventions led to less disruptive behavior.

Often times, mouth care may be neglected or performed inadequately to reduce oral bacteria that may cause pneumonia. This article offers a step-by- step guide to evidence-based practice for oral care for intubated patients. Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy discusses the author’s experience in writing this article and what she hopes nurses will take away from it.

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and Clinical Managing Editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the October issue of the American Journal of Nursing . This month’s cover photo comes from a photo essay of gender non-conforming children at a camp for transgender children, tying in with our AJN reports on the same topic. Nurses from Hartford Hospital wrote our first CE this month, describing their s...

AJN's editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy speaks with Dr. Hartley, who along with nurse epidemiologist Marilyn Ridenour, led a team to develop a program to educate nurses about workplace violence. The program, a series of online modules, is free and available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/violence/training_nurses.html See the related blog post at http://wp.me/prthD-43r

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and Clinical Managing Editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the September issue of the American Journal of Nursing . Photography by an upstate New York physician appears on this month’s cover – from his project capturing the stories of patients in the Adirondacks. The image ties in with our first September CE examining loneliness in older adults. The second CE...

Current practices in the treatment and transfer of pregnant inmates in this country may negatively affect maternal and fetal health or well-being. Some, like shackling during labor, may violate federal or state laws; others conflict with standards of obstetric care and are widely considered unethical or inhumane. Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy discusses these practices and implications for nurses w...

Jennifer Mallow (Left) & Laurie Theeke (Right) Loneliness is a contributing factor to various health problems in older adults. This pilot study of community-dwelling older adults in Appalachia showed the presence of significant loneliness and loneliness was significantly related to the number of comorbidities and use of several medications. Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy speaks with the authors abo...

Clinical managing editor Karen Roush speaks with Dr. Jodie Gary, assistant professor at Texas ANM Health Science Center College, and author of the article “Exploring the Concept and Use of Positive Deviance in Nursing.” She describes the difficulty nurses encounter providing patient-centered care while remaining within strict policies in a complex environment. Nurses who extend care beyond these p...

Clinical managing editor Karen Roush presents the highlights of the August issue of the American Journal of Nursing . On the cover this month, a nurse enjoys fishing with a boy at a summer camp for children with life-threatening disorders. Our first August CE describes positive deviance - an intentional act of breaking the rules in order to save the greater good – as it applies to improving patien...