Health Bytes

FREE CNE for Members: As a gesture of appreciation from the AAACN Board of Directors and staff, please enjoy a free Online Library session of your choice. We wish our members a joyous holiday season! Get details for your free session.

Liz Greenberg Interviewed About Telehealth Nursing - In a comprehensive Reviews.com article about telehealth nursing, AAACN Past President Liz Greenberg shares her expert advice for nurses considering this booming field. Read the interview.

As nurse leaders, you know firsthand the devastation and human suffering caused by the opioid epidemic. Our country needs common sense solutions to reduce barriers to care. The Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act, H.R. 3692/S. 2317, introduced in both chambers would amend the Controlled Substances Act to permanently authorize advanced practice registered nurses-nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, clinical nurse specialists, and certified registered nurse anesthetists-to prescribe medicated-assisted treatment, specifically buprenorphine, to patients struggling with opioid misuse and addiction. Urge your legislators to co-sponsor the Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act and to support its consideration when the full House and Senate take up their respective opioid bills/packages. Take action!

Veteran Patients Need Nurses who Understand Their Struggles - Nurses in all practice settings likely will have veteran patients — many of whom have special healthcare needs. The U.S. veteran population are more than 20 million strong, ranging in age from 18 to 80 and beyond. One of the most important questions nurses can ask patients is, “Have you ever served in the military? Read the full article at Nurse.com.

5 Ways Telehealth Is Taking Modern Healthcare to the Next Level - Videoconferencing tools such as Skype, combined with wearables like Fitbits, are laying the foundation for virtual care to revolutionize all aspects of the health space. Telehealth has grown to encompass a wide range of devices and technologies that can transmit medical information in real time around the globe, allowing medical professionals to provide services to communities previously underserved. Read the full article.

CDC Observes C. diff Awareness Month - C. diff infections are an urgent problem in hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, inpatient rehab facilities, and skilled nursing facilities and in communities. C. diff infections can spread more widely when patients move between these healthcare facilities, both within and between communities. CDC is working with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and other federal partners to reduce C. diff infections by 30% by 2020. Read the full article.

AAACN Members: FREE CNE - "Nurse Triage Call Center Quality Improvement Program." After completing this learning activity, the participant will discuss the development of an improved quality assurance program in a large nurse triage call center. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase

Final Weeks to Apply for Grants & Scholarships - Did you know that you can receive funding for your research or evidence-based project, education, certification expenses, or to attend the AAACN Annual Conference? Awards recognizing clinical and administrative excellence by ambulatory care nurses are also available. Deadline for submssions is Friday, November 15, 2019. Apply now.

AHRQ Safety Program - Join the AHRQ Safety Program Improving Antibiotic Use in the Ambulatory Care Setting. Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest global health care threats impacting the ambulatory care community. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Johns Hopkins Medicine, and NORC at  the University of Chicago, a non-partisan research institution, invite ambulatory care practices (especially primary care and urgent care clinics) to participate in a free “Safety Program” to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use. Find out more about it.

Technology Underscores Value Of Nursing Code Of Ethics - For 17 consecutive years, nurses have been named the most honest and ethical profession in Gallup polls. Although the advent of electronic health records (EHRs) has provided many benefits, experts have found some ethical dilemmas surrounding their use. Read the full article at Nurse.com.

AAACN Members: FREE CNE - "Managing an Identified High-Risk Population Within a Value-Based Healthcare Model." After completing this learning activity, the participant will learn how to identify and implement quality care interventions within a health organization which results in positive outcomes for a high-risk population. 1.0 CH. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday finalized a rule requiring all hospitals to have antibiotic stewardship programs, which experts say is a big step forward in the fight against superbugs. Read the full article.

AAACN Annual Conference Scholarships! AAACN is offering three scholarships for the AAACN annual conference, each providing $1,000 in funding to attend: Conference Scholarship; Conference Scholarship for New Nurses; and the Conference Scholarship for Nursing Students. View more details, scholarship eligibility criteria, and apply online (if qualified).

Contaminant found in marijuana vaping products linked to deadly lung illnesses, tests show -More than 200 reports of lung illnesses are under investigation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vitamin E acetate has been found in vaping samples.  View the full article in The Washington Post.

What You Should Know About Plastics and Food Safety. Asking the question Is Tupperware BPA-free? might not be enough to keep you safe. BPA stands for Bisphenol A, a chemical produced in large quantities, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, “for use primarily in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins.” View the full article.

AAACN Members: FREE CNE - "Investing in Our Nurse Leaders: The Everest Program." After completing this learning activity, the participant will state the purpose of the Everest program and identify one benefit/value of the Everest program in supporting nurse leaders. 0.90 CH. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase.

10 Self-Care Ideas For A Nurse's Day Off - When you’re a nurse with only one precious day off from your job, how can you make the most of your time? Maybe you have errands, appointments, and chores to take care of, but have you ever thought of turning a day off into a self-care mini vacation? Here are 10 ideas for a one-day self-care wellness adventure, at Nurse.com.

Nurse practitioners gain ground on full practice authority - Twenty-two states now allow nurse practitioners full practice authority, and 10 states have removed restrictions on NPs in the past 10 years. Find out how nurses recently influenced legislation in a few key states to allow more independent practice. Find out which laws apply at Nurse.com.

Witness Intimidation Allegations - Two registered nurses, one patient care provider and one expert witness changed the course of a lawsuit in the case Stubblefield v. Morristown-Hamblen Hospital Association. A patient underwent a cardiac catheterization in a hospital and remained for routine post-operative care. The physician’s order was for the patient’s assigned nurse to administer nitroglycerin intravenously throughout the night. Read the full article at Nurse.com.

AAACN Members: FREE CNE - "Establishing a Telehealth Apprenticeship Program." After completing this learning activity, the participant will identify the process of establishing a telehealth nurse apprenticeship program and describe the steps toward development and implementation. 1.00 CH. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase.

The Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals is challenging the planned closure of Hahnemann University Hospital and objecting to proposed bidding and auction procedures to be used for the sale of St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, according to Bloomberg Law. Read the full article at Becker's Hospital Review.

 7 Wellness Activities to Promote Nurse Self-care - Over 80 percent of nurse respondents said they suffered from significant stress, according to an American Nurses Association survey. Nurses often work overtime and skip breaks, in part due to nationwide nursing shortages, and they may forget to take care of themselves in the process. To combat the problem, some employers are implementing worksite wellness programs, which have been shown to increase nurses' job satisfaction and retention, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Find out about the seven wellness activities. Read the full article at Becker's Hospital Review.

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) has posted three new Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) videos. The videos – “NLC and PSOR Requirements,” “Guide to NLC for Nursing Students,” and “Guide to NLC for Nurse Employers” -- provide important education and updates. The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) allows a nurse to have one multistate license with the ability to practice in the home state and other compact states. View the menu of videos.

How to Treat Jet Lag -  How badly you suffer from jet lag depends on the number of time zones you crossed and the direction in which you flew. Jet lag symptoms usually last longer after an eastbound flight, which can shorten your day by several hours. In the days of leisurely ocean liner crossings and cross-country rail travel, the body had time to adjust to different time zones, but the advent of air travel changed that. View the full article.

Entering the Profession at any Age - Nursing is a very stable profession, allowing nurses to work in any state or U.S. territory. It is challenging, overwhelming, yet extremely satisfying. These are some of the reasons nurses choose this career path and often suggest nursing as a career to family and friends. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nursing profession is growing. By 2024, the projected growth is 16% (Colduvell, 2016). Perhaps now is the time for people to consider becoming a nurse. View the full article.

AAACN Members: FREE CNE - "A Magic Wand Is Needed to Meet the Requirements for Nurses in a Primary Care Setting." After completing this learning activity, the participant will have ideas that could be utilized to change their own area of practice within the nursing scope and staffing model of their current facility. 1.00 CH. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase.

From the CDC: Interactive Infection Control Training for Healthcare Professionals. Learn how to identify infection risks and prevent the spread of healthcare-associated infections. CDC now offers a new online interactive infection control training, “Let’s Talk Patient Safety: Reducing HAI Transmission Risk,” to help healthcare professionals identify infection risks and prevent the spread of HAIs. View the article at the CDC.

Are surveillance cameras privacy issues in school clinics? A health services coordinator submitted a question about the use of surveillance cameras privacy issues in school-based clinics. She was concerned about the impact on the privacy of students and staff who seek medical care. Find out which laws apply at Nurse.com.

Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings - Practicing hand hygiene is a simple yet effective way to prevent infections. Cleaning your hands can prevent the spread of germs, including those that are resistant to antibiotics and are becoming difficult, if not impossible, to treat. On average, healthcare providers clean their hands less than half of the times they should. On any given day, about one in 31 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection. View the full article.

Nurses have been using social media since its inception. However, there are many pitfalls which may adversely affect the nurse’s career, because of the risk of protected information disclosure. Learn more about the advantages and pitfalls of using social media networking as a communication tool. View the full article.

AAACN Members: FREE CNE - "Measuring Effectiveness of the Ambulatory Care Setting: Using Facility Evaluation to Feed the Continuous Improvement Process." After completing this learning activity, the participant will be able to define a pre- and post-facility evaluation and interpret evaluation results relating to the continuous improvement process. 1.00 CH. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase.

150 top places to work in healthcare Becker's Healthcare is pleased to release the "150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare | 2019" list, which highlights hospitals, health systems and healthcare companies that promote diversity within the workforce, employee engagement and professional growth. The organizations featured on this list offer benefits and opportunities for employees to build successful careers above and beyond the average healthcare provider or company; they encourage professional development and promote leadership from within. Many members of the list offer unique wellness and personal benefits to ensure employees strike a positive work/life balance. Read the full article at Becker's Hospital Review.

Two of your favorite nursing journals recently released new podcasts on nursing leadership. Listen now to the latest Nursing Economic$ podcast episode, "The Nurses on Boards Coalition: A Roundtable Discussion," and to the MEDSURG Nursing episode, "Interview with Dr. Peter Buerhaus — Healthcare Workforce Shortage and Solutions."

Hospital CEOs, CNOs write thank-you notes to nurses - In honor of National Nurses Week, hospital CEOs, CNOs and other healthcare leaders, wrote thank-you notes to these caregivers. Read the SUPER full article at Becker's Hospital Review.

Should nurse accept reprimand offer from board of nursing? A reader submitted a question about forgetting to report a misdemeanor conviction for a fight she was involved in with a neighbor to her board of nursing when she renewed her license. The board offered her a reprimand as discipline and a fine of $500. The reader wonders what effect this will have on her nursing practice if she accepts the offer. Read the full article at Nurse.com.

AAACN Members: FREE CNE - "Using Evidence-Based Best Practices to Develop Telephone Triage Algorithms." After completing this learning activity, the participant will be able to summarize a process for ensuring triage algorithms are evidence-based and meet best practice standards. Speaker: David Chatterton, MSN, RN. 1.00 CH. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase.

Addiction and Nursing: How the Epidemic Affects Nurses - When my buddy Jason first got into his nursing program, I was excited for him. Nursing is an honorable profession, one that is constantly in demand and provides certain stability that other career paths may not. His first few semesters were rough, understandably. Read the full article from DailyNurse^®.

10 Things Nurses Need to Know about the Measles Outbreak - From New Years’ Day 2019 through April 11th, the United States has reported 555 cases of measles in 20 states—the second largest measles outbreak reported since the disease was eliminated in 2000. Read the full article from DailyNurse^®.

The nurses, Stephanee Petersen and T.A. Peterson, work for Nashville, Tennessee-based Hospice Compassus. Twice a week, the nurses have been traveling through floodwaters to reach a hospice patient on Campbell's Island, which sits in the Mississippi River in Illinois. Some days, the trip can take up to three-and-a-half hours. "These patients need us. We can't have the floodwaters keep us from doing [our] job," Ms. Peterson told WQAD News 8. "This is the time when they need us the most." Read the story and watch the article and watch WQAD TV video.

Understanding the Roles of Health and Safety Professionals in Community-Wide Bullying Prevention Efforts. What is known about bullying and how it relates to health and safety professionals?Bullying may seriously affect the mental health, physical health, and academic well-being of kids who are bullied. Read the full resource at stopbullying.gov.

Nurses' work environments affect patient outcomes, study finds The state of a nurse's work environment can affect nursing care quality, job satisfaction and patient outcomes, according to a study published in Medical Care. Researchers found better work environments were linked to lower odds of negative nurse outcomes, poor safety or quality ratings, and negative patient outcomes. A positive work environment was also linked to higher odds of patient satisfaction. Read the full article at Becker's Hospital Review.

Speaking Up and Speaking Out: The Importance of the Nurse Voice - Public health nurse and health reporter Barbara Glickstein discusses the importance of the nurse voice. Ms. Glickstein talks about the economic, professional and social implications of speaking up as nurses, being heard through the media, and provides advice to help nurses become engaged and be heard, while sharing her perspectives and experience. Listen to the podcast from the Nursing Economic$ Podcast Series.

U.S. News unveiled several lists on Jan. 8 highlighting the best jobs for 2019. In addition to its own separate rankings, many healthcare jobs also ranked high on the organization's Best Jobs rankings. Read the full article at Becker's Hospital Review.

March 10-16 is Patient Safety Awareness Week (PSAW). The focus this year is on improving safety in the ambulatory setting. A free webcast entitled Advancing Patient Safety Beyond the Hospital will be held on March 13, 2019. This free Webcast will cover: The state of ambulatory patient safety in the US; The infrastructure needed to advance patient safety in these settings; The importance of optimizing foundational factors such as patient safety culture, teamwork among clinicians, and patient and family engagement for the success of improvement efforts. View more information about PSAW.

50 States Ranked by Amount of NPs - California contains the most professionally active nurse practitioners in the U.S. with 15,374 NPs, according to a ranking from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The ranking is based on October 2018 data compiled by Redi-Data from state licensing information. In total, 164,914 professionally active NPs are working in the U.S. Read the full article at Becker's Hospital Review.

AAACN Members: FREE CNE - FREE CE: "Care Transition Hand-Off Toolkit." After completing this learning activity, the learner will be able to utilize the toolkit resources to execute care transitions. Speaker: Gregory S. Kopp MN, MHA, RN, CENP. 1.00 CH. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase.

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (2nd edition) provides evidence-based recommendations for youths and adults to safely get the physical activity they need to stay healthy. There are updated guidelines for older adults, adults with chronic health conditions, and adults with disabilities. The United States currently has low levels of adherence to the guidelines: only 26% of men, 19% of women, and 20% of adolescents meet the recommendations. View in the GAPNA Clinical Research Corner.

"Grandmother Hypothesis” Gets Some Support - New studies suggest forebears’ age and physical proximity matter when it comes to their grandkids’ survival. Grandmas often help out a lot with grandkids. That may be why women live long past reproductive age and why menopause, which is rare among animals, evolved—an idea called the “grandmother hypothesis.” Read the full article inTheScientist.

Surgeon General Jerome Adams: Protect Against the Measles - Measles is one of the most contagious of all infectious diseases; approximately 9 out of 10 susceptible persons with close contact to a measles patient will develop measles. You may have heard about measles in the news recently. Here's what the U.S. Surgeon General wants you to know so you can protect your family. Watch the video.

Avoid untruths in your nursing documentation - Nurse managers in a home health agency document the start and stop times for IV infusions, but they did not administer the IVs. Can this nursing documentation be considered truthful and accurate. Nurse attorney Nancy Brent answers this question. Read the full article at Nurse.com.

AAACN Members: FREE CNE - "Traversing the Headwinds – Leveraging Nurse Capital and Sustaining Gains in the Face of Expansion and Change." After completing this learning activity, the participant will be able to appreciate alternative strategies for meeting the demands for virtual health care team members. 1.00 CH.. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase.

Rocking Improves Sleep, Boosts Memory - Sleeping on a rhythmically swaying surface helps synchronize sleep oscillations in the human brain, a study finds. Read the full article in TheScientist. 

 Taking the Pain Out of Children’s Shots - Pediatric pain specialists believe that reducing the pain associated with needles can lead to better health care. Nurses are important in comforting patients form the very young (in this case) to the very old. Read the full article in the New York Times. 

 Nurse practitioners can make a difference patient by patient - Patients made more than 1 billion visits to nurse practitioners last year. NPs are educated and well-trained to provide patients access to high-quality, primary healthcare services and keep the family and community involved in the process. Read the full article. Taking the Pain Out of Children’s Shots Pediatric pain specialists believe that reducing the pain associated with needles can lead to better health care. Nurses are important in comforting patients form the very young to the very old.

 Nurses Again Outpace Other Professions for Honesty, Ethics - Nurses rated highest among professionals in the US for the 17th consecutive year for their ethical standards and honesty, per the annual Gallup poll. A decisive 84% of survey respondents rated nurses' ethics and honesty as high or very high. Read the full article.

AAACN Members: FREE CNE - "Care Management Teams: An Approach to Care Delivery." After completing this learning activity, the participant will be able to identify the benefits of an interdisciplinary team approach to case management and improve efficiency and productivity of a team. 1.00 CH. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase.

Four Ways to Enhance Language Access during Disaster Response & Recovery - Is your healthcare, public health, or emergency response organization ready to communicate effectively with all the people in your community who rely on you? HHS has developed a checklist with some basic principles that you can use to communicate with various populations who have communication needs. Read the full article.

A Day in the Life - In this older, timeless video/interview from 2011 a nurse is featured describing a day in her life at an ambulatory care center. Read the full article.

The Importance of Medical Touch - It can show gentleness and compassion or carelessness and incompetence. It started, as it does for thousands of women every year, with a routine mammogram, and its routine process of having my breasts — like a lump of dough — manipulated by another woman’s hands and placed, albeit gently, into tight compression. It’s never comfortable, but you get used to it because you have to. Read the full article in the NYT.

AAACN MEMBERS: FREE CNE - "Journey of Establishing a Magnet^® Nursing Culture in Ambulatory Care." After completing this learning activity, the participant will be able to describe strategies used on the journey of excellence to elevate professional nursing practice and care delivery in ambulatory care. 1.00 CH. Available in the AAACN Online Library. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase.

AAACN President Kathy Mertens describes the crucial role of ambulatory care nurses in protecting patients in a recent American Journal of Nursing investigation, "Ambulatory Surgery Centers: Are They Safe?" From the article: "The unexpected death of comedian Joan Rivers in 2014 at a New York City ambulatory surgical center put these centers in the spotlight, and not in a positive way. A media frenzy followed, and it was revealed Ms. Rivers had a routine and minor elective procedure. In the wake of her death..." Read the full article.

U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week: Be Antibiotics Aware: Smart use, Best Care - USAAW is an annual observance that raises awareness of the threat of antibiotic resistance and the importance of appropriate antibiotic use. Read the full article.

Using Telemedicine to Combat the Opioid Epidemic - HHS has developed materials to help clarify how clinicians can use telemedicine as a tool to expand buprenorphine-based MAT for opioid use disorder treatment. Read the full article.

White Coat Syndrome Is a Physiological Reality - The trick to overcoming white coat syndrome involves open communication and relaxation techniques—things easier said than done. A person with white coat syndrome experiences elevated blood pressure readings when he or she is in a medical setting. The blood pressure returns to normal when the person leaves the medical office. Can you help your patients? Read the full article.

FREE CNE - "Evolution of Targeted Patient Population Care Management Strategy to Improve Patient Outcomes and Healthcare Resource Utilization." After completing this learning activity, the participant will be able to explain the importance of the establishment of and need for continual evolution of a comprehensive ambulatory care management model for targeted patient populations to improve outcomes. 1.00 CH. Available in the AAACN Online Library. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase.

The Power of Protein at Breakfast - Science supports the benefits of protein at breakfast; here, we provide the strategies. Higher-protein breakfasts have been studied in teenagers and young adults and found to reduce subsequent hunger and calorie intake, and prevent gains in body fat. In another study, postmenopausal women getting 1.2 grams (g) per kilogram (kg) of protein a day experienced what the authors called “profound effects on metabolic function,” including 45 percent less muscle loss—a common side effect of low-calorie diets. Read the full article.

The highest-paying states for nurses - Full-time nurses in California have the highest annual average salaries of nurses in all 50 states, averaging $106,000 per year, according to a survey conducted by ADVANCE Healthcare Network. The survey includes responses from more than 22,000 nurses at every level and focused on specialization, location, education and benefits. Read the full article.

Never Miss a Flu Vaccine - Here Are the Reasons - The simple act of getting vaccinated helps protect your loved ones. Americans experienced one of the most severe flu seasons in four decades last year with flu activity remaining high well into March 2018. Millions of Americans became sick with the flu, an estimated 900,000 were hospitalized, and 80,000 died from flu and its complications. Experts agree that the flu vaccine is the single best way to protect you and your loved ones against the flu. If you are vaccinated, you are less likely to get the flu. And, if you do get sick, studies show that when you are vaccinated, your illness will likely be milder, which helps keep you out of the hospital. By getting vaccinated, we can prevent the spread of flu to those at greatest risk for becoming dangerously ill, including young children, pregnant women, people 65 and older, and those with certain medical conditions. Read the full article.

Can nursing certification help close the gender pay gap? To certify or not to certify, that is the question. Likely you have asked this question yourself. Your organization may be on the Magnet journey, and increasing certifications is part of that journey for your unit. You also may want to expand your job prospects or increase and demonstrate your expertise with a certification. However, there are costs, time and stress involved in becoming certified. Is it worth it? Yes! For many reasons, but one in particular may surprise you. Certification may help close the gender pay gap in nursing. Read the full article at Nurse.com.

FREE CNE - "Evolution of Targeted Patient Population Care Management Strategy to Improve Patient Outcomes and Healthcare Resource Utilization." After completing this learning activity, the participant will be able to explain the importance of the establishment of and need for continual evolution of a comprehensive ambulatory care management model for targeted patient populations to improve outcomes. 1.00 CH. Available in the AAACN Online Library. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase.

The Reality of a Healthy Work-Life Balance - At home and in your personal life there are daily tasks to complete. The mundane day-to-day things that must get done. Are you spending too much time on the routine tasks and not enough time on the things that you enjoy, that refresh your being? Do you take ample time for yourself; get enough sleep, have a hobby, or other interests to pursue? Do you bring work home; look at work emails, relive the day, worry about what you might have done wrong or did not get done? Read the full article.

Nurses, Get Informed About Workplace Violence - Whether perpetrated by a patient or as the result of workplace bullying, violence against nurses is never acceptable. As the discussion continues in the nursing community on how to prevent workplace violence, laws are being enacted nationwide to reduce the number of incidents and make healthcare settings safer for both patients and staff. Read the full article at Nurse.com.

How to Quantify a Nurse’s ‘Gut Feelings’ - I had a nagging sense that something was wrong, but I couldn’t articulate it. "...Every nurse likely knows the feeling. The patient’s vital signs are just a little off, she seems not quite herself, her breathing is slightly more labored. But on paper she looks stable, so it’s hard to get a doctor to listen, much less act..." Read the full article, by Theresa Brown, in the New York Times.

FREE CNE - "The Journey to Develop Nurse-Sensitive Indicators in the Ambulatory Care Setting." Learning Outcome: After completing this learning activity, the participant will be able to list at least two nurse-sensitive indicators for use in the ambulatory environment and describe the process used by this group to develop those indicators. 1.10 CH. Available in the AAACN Online Library. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase.

Closed Borders, Closed Hearts - "...who would have ever thought the United States would precipitate a humanitarian crisis within its borders? When the White House initiated the policy to separate families apprehended crossing the Mexico–Texas border, it was met by an unprecedented backlash of outrage..." From the AJN, The American Journal of Nursing: August 2018 - Volume 118 - Issue 8 - p 7. Read the full article.

Barriers to Implementing Evidence-Based Practice Remain High for U.S. Nurses - Getting past “We've always done it this way” is crucial. Evidence-based practice (EBP), a problem-solving approach to patient care that integrates the best evidence from well-designed studies with clinicians' expertise, patient assessments, and patients' own preferences, leads to better, safer care; better outcomes; and lower health care costs. Yet despite the fact that nurses report that engaging in EBP leads to greater professional satisfaction, nurses in the United States aren't consistently using it. From the AJN, American Journal of Nursing: December 2012 - Volume 112 - Issue 12 - p 15" Read the full article.

From NURSE.com - Excellent nurse managers possess strong leadership and communication skills and create a vibrant culture of teamwork and trust among their staff. "...I recommend as a good nurse manager you make yourself known to your team. Do not just send emails and memos, but rather talk to your team in person and be fully engaged in the conversation..." Read the full article.

Ambulatory Interventions Needed to Prevent Readmissions - To move the needle on readmissions, hospitals need assistance from non-acute care partners. Nurses can meet the need. Since they can be found in all care settings, nurses are in a unique position to improve care transitions and reduce readmissions. Here are three HealthLeaders articles on how to accomplish those goals... Read the full article.

FREE CNE - "Connect 2 Care – A One-Call System for Patients to Navigate the Health Care System." 1.00 CH, Free for AAACN members until August 31, 2018. Creation of a patient line, Connect 2 Care, which was designed to create a single entry point for all patients to access medical care, is discussed. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase.

Hand Hygiene Compliance Monitoring Provides Benefits, Challenges - Hand hygiene is the most important factor in preventing the spread of healthcare associated infections (HAIs), a major threat to patient safety and cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Beyond their human costs, HAIs are fiscally costly, accounting for billions of dollars’ worth of expenditure in the U.S. healthcare system annually. Studies substantiate the connection between hand hygiene and HAIs; however, hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers (HCWs) remains alarmingly low, with average rates of only 40 percent to 50 percent, in spite of widespread education and awareness. Read the full article.

Patients Want Better Communication, Care Coordination - A report from health insurance giant Aetna found that patients want communicative doctors who offer convenient appointments and that they put a high value on privacy and data security. The findings put further weight behind the idea that providers need to focus on patient conveniences like online and same-day scheduling, and can find improved patient engagement with value-based payment models. Read the full article.

From Nurse.com: Nurses can make mainstream media take notice. I use Twitter frequently to broadcast nursing news, ranging from news about state legislators removing barriers to practice for nurse practitioners to highlights from commencement addresses I give. Oftentimes, I’ll single out nurses for their research findings or acts of compassion. Read the full article.

Hot summer weather is perfect for swimming and barbecues. Too much of a good thing, though, requires caution: If you become too hot, you run the risk of risk of heatstroke. What is heatstroke? Read the full article.

From the AHRQ - Ambulatory Care Patient Safety 2017–2018. Patient safety in ambulatory care is emerging as a focus of research, regulation, and measurement efforts. This website provides information and resources related to an initiative supporting expert review of current metrics, including prioritizing measures and identifying gaps in current performance measures. Read the full article

FREE CNE - "Decreasing Admissions: Innovative and Novel Care Model that Supports Transitional Care Coordination in the Ambulatory Setting." After completing this learning activity, the learner will be able to identify opportunities for avoiding emergency department visits and preventing direct admissions, while learning strategies for setting up an ADTU structure, process, and outcomes. CH .75, Free for AAACN members until July 31, 2018. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase.

June 27 is National HIV Testing Day (NHTD), a day to encourage people to get tested for HIV, know their status, and get linked to care and treatment if they have HIV. This year’s theme, Doing It My Way, Testing for HIV, reminds us that each person has their own reasons why they test for HIV and their own unique ways of Doing It. Read the full article.

From the CDC: Untreated Lyme disease can produce a wide range of symptoms, depending on the stage of infection. These include fever, rash, facial paralysis, and arthritis. Ask you patients if you observe any of these symptoms and have might have tick bite, live in an area known for Lyme disease, or have recently traveled to an area where Lyme disease occurs. Read the full article.

As nurse leaders, you know firsthand the devastation and human suffering caused by the opioid epidemic. Our country needs common sense solutions to reduce barriers to care. The Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act, H.R. 3692/S. 2317, introduced in both chambers would amend the Controlled Substances Act to permanently authorize advanced practice registered nurses-nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, clinical nurse specialists, and certified registered nurse anesthetists-to prescribe medicated-assisted treatment, specifically buprenorphine, to patients struggling with opioid misuse and addiction. Urge your legislators to co-sponsor the Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act and to support its consideration when the full House and Senate take up their respective opioid bills/packages. Take action!

The vast majority of health care takes place in the outpatient, or ambulatory, setting, and a growing body of research has identified and characterized factors that influence safety in office practice, the types of errors commonly encountered in ambulatory care, and potential strategies for improving ambulatory safety. Read the full article.

FREE CNE - "Building a Business Case for Clinical Oversight." Understand the process of building a business case for clinical oversight with the aim of establishing optimal infrastructure and processes for ensuring patient safety and top of scope practice across ambulatory care. 1.00 CH, Free for AAACN members until June 30, 2018. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase.

EMS: A Critical Partner in Successful Community Disaster Planning and Response - Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel serve on the front lines of health, providing lifesaving services not only during everyday emergencies but also during a wide range of natural and man-made disasters. EMS providers also play an essential role in Health Care Coalitions, which provide a foundation for disaster healthcare and medical readiness. Find out how EMS providers across the country are making a difference and how you can get involved. Read the full article.

On Tuesday, May 22, 2018, starting at 10 am ET, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will host a hearing on the Health Care Workforce: Addressing Shortages and Improving Care. They will discuss the Title VII and Title VIII reauthorizations bills under consideration. Dr. Julie Sanford, Director and Professor, School of Nursing at James Madison University will be providing testimony and share specific examples that demonstrate the impact of Title VIII in the community. This is an exciting step for the Coalition’s collective advocacy to move the needle forward! Watch the hearing live on Tuesday, May 22, 2018, starting at 10 am ET!

Measurement of Patient Safety - The 1999 Institute of Medicine To Err Is Human report drew national attention to the problem of preventable harm in medicine and led to the creation of the modern patient safety field. Measuring patient safety is a complex and evolving field, and achieving accurate and reliable measurement strategies remains a challenge for the safety field. Read the full article.

AMSN.org Commentary on a Severe Nursing Shortage - The hot-button topic of the nursing shortage took center stage on April 30 when CNN published an article by Parija Kavilanz, “Nursing Schools Are Rejecting Thousands of Applicants – In the Middle of a Nursing Shortage.” Sadly, the CNN article is true: Nursing schools are turning away thousands of qualified applicants (56,000 in 2017), and schools are struggling to hire more qualified teachers. The reasons given also are true: Finding enough clinical track and tenure track faculty is challenging and faculty shortages will get even worse. Read the full article.

FREE CNE - "Telehealth Live - A Demo of Telehealth Modalities." After completing this learning activity, the learner will have an increased knowledge of a variety of telehealth modalities and how these advances are changing patient care delivery across the country. 1.21 CH, Free for AAACN members until May 31, 2018. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase.

How Does Stress Affect the Body? Even daily hassles can hurt your health! It's a fair question for any of us to ask: How does stress affect the body? The answer: Multiple ways, ranging from chronic headaches to joint pain to psoriasis. Our author has advice to help you avoid "sweating the small stuff." Read the full article.

Why I Became a School Nurse Activist, From Nursing Economic$ Journal: "I promised my sister and niece that I would do whatever I can on the public health policy side of the equation." A school nurse whose life has been touched by, not one, but two mass shootings discusses her path to becoming a school nurse activist in the article, "Why I Became a School Nurse Activist," by Robin Cogan. Read the full article.

Who Will Teach Our Nurses - Not only do the qualifications of the current nursing workforce need to be updated, the Health Resources and Services Administration projects that we’ll need more than 1 million new RNs by 2020. The good news is that nursing program applicants, enrollments and graduates have increased. The bad news is that despite increased enrollments, too many qualified applicants are being turned away from entry-level nursing programs, mostly due to faculty shortages. Read the full article.

Beth Ann Swan Profiled in OR Today About CCTM - One of AAACN's most influential care coordination and transition management (CCTM) leaders, Beth Ann Swan, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, was profiled by OR Today this month about her pioneer role in CCTM and how she got started in nursing. Beth Ann, a AAACN past president, emphasizes the importance of CCTM knowledge and skills for every nurse in every practice setting. Read the full article.

AAACN President M. Elizabeth Greenberg, PhD, RN-BC, C-TNP, CNE, was featured recently in the American Nurses Association (ANA) magazine, American Nurse Today, Career Guide issue. Liz was interviewed about care coordination and transition management (CCTM) for the article, Start Exploring Hot Nursing Careers. Liz described the value of nurses' CCTM role to patients and today's health care system, as well as the growing need for more nurses to step into a CCTM role and become Certified in Care Coordination and Transition Management (CCCTM^®). Read the full article.

FREE CNE - "Utilization of the Health Care System by Community Case Management Patients." After completing this learning activity, the learner will be able to consider a nurse-led model to be effective in reducing a patient’s utilization of the ED and hospital. 1.00 CH, Free for AAACN members until April 30, 2018. Free to members in the AAACN Online Library | Non-member standard purchase.

WHO: What are the core components for effective infection prevention and control? This instructional video from the World Health Organization explains the evidence-based core components of infection prevention and control programmes, critical at both the national and acute health care facility level for patient safety and for health systems to provide quality care. This video is brought to life by interviews from people in the field across a range of countries and describes the importance of the eight core components one by one. View the video.

MyPlate, MyWins Tips: Meal Planning for One - Cooking for one can be challenging—most recipes and sales are meant for more than one person. Use these tips to help when you’re cooking for one. From ChooseMyPlate.gov provides practical information to individuals, health professionals, nutrition educators, and the food industry to help consumers build healthier diets with resources and tools for dietary assessment, nutrition education, and other user-friendly nutrition information. Read the full article.

Fifty six organizations signed on to a letter to the House and Senate Appropriations committees outlining the Nursing Community Coalition's Fiscal Year 2019 funding requests of $244 million for the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs and $170 million for the National Institute of Nursing Research. Read the full letter.

Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu season is different, and infection can affect people differently. Take advantage of this collection of articles to learn more about influenza and keep yourself, and those around you, healthy this season. Read the full article.

The widespread implementation of electronic health records has caused a sea change in health care and in medical practice. The digitization of health care data has had some positive effects on patient safety, but it has also created new patient safety concerns. In a review of EHR safety and usability, investigators found that the switch from paper records to EHRs led to decreases in medication errors, improved guideline adherence, and (after initial implementation) enhanced safety attitudes and job satisfaction among physicians. Read the full article.

To understand patient health priorities, ask: "What matters to you?" Health coaches can help patients make strides with conditions such as hypertension or type 2 diabetes. Here is how asking, “What matters to you?” will help improve patient care. Through health coaching, a team-based approach, physicians and their teams can help patients become active participants in their care. One health care collaborative has incorporated health coaching that goes beyond just asking “what’s the matter?” Read the full article..

FREE CNE  - "Special In-Brief Sessions: Telehealth Quality, Performance, and Trending Data; The Continuing Evolution of Telehealth Nursing." Discuss how contact center medical and operations leadership must realize new efficiencies in nurse workflows using data generated by our clinical interactions to inform the business, given the call volume and professional staffing required to provide safe and efficient quality nursing services. 2.00 CH, from the AAACN 42nd Annual Conference 2017. Free for AAACN members until Feb. 28, 2018. Available in the AAACN Online Library. Non-member standard purchase.

Take Action to Prevent the Flu: Everything you need to know about the flu illness, including symptoms, treatment and prevention. (From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases [NCIRD]). Read the full article.

BONUS! - AAACN IS pleased to offer you 5.4 free contact hours from 5 different sessions captured at a variety of specialty nursing associations' meetings! Because AAACN shares its headquarters with several other specialty nursing associations, they all decided to team up to give you a little something extra as a thank you for your AAACN membership. Check out these sessions, and enjoy the excellent education and free CNE! Find out about it!

Improving real-time vital signs documentation: Assessing and documenting vital signs are essential tasks routinely performed by nurses and unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). The information gathered is useful in identifying a patient's overall health status and physiologic signs of deterioration, and can lead to early recognition and treatment of serious conditions such as sepsis. This quality improvement project set out to increase real-time collection and documentation of vital signs data by using interfaced mobile vital signs machines. Did it succeed? Read the full article.

The Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) hosted a briefing on the opioid crisis that is taking a toll on the health, wellness, and lives of Americans and their families. The briefing titled The Opioids Crisis: Nursing Practices That Save Lives featured four nursing experts who each offered a different perspective on how the profession is on the front lines of saving patients impacted by opioid addiction. Read the full article.

Common Cold and Flu Prevention: Tips to Keep You Healthy: Coughs and sneezes spread diseases—especially when it comes to common colds and flu! But getting sick is not inevitable; here's how you can reduce your risk of getting sick this winter. Before you come down with that days-long virus, take the cold and flu prevention measures outlined. Read the full article.

Staying Updated on Vaccinations in College - The Center for School, College, and Career Resources (CSCCR) has launched a new campaign on the importance of vaccinations in college. They say students in dorm-like conditions are particularly at risk of contracting meningitis, hepatitis B, and the flu. CSCCR recommends the new resource, Staying Updated on Vaccinations on Campus, a guidebook that offers a detailed list of recommended college vaccinations, where to get them, potential exemptions, and critical tips from medical experts. View the guide.

(From AMA Wire) Global physician ethics pledge gets biggest makeover in decades - Physician leaders have given the international modern-day Hippocratic Oath the most substantial update that it has seen in nearly 70 years, with revisions reflecting changes in the relationship between patients and physicians, and changes in interactions between physicians and their colleagues. Read the full article.

(From AMA Wire) A recent article in The Journal of Clinical Hypertension provides a framework to optimize accurate blood-pressure readings and boost patient adherence to treatment. It should help physicians enhance management of hypertension, which is defined as a consistent blood pressure reading of 140/90 mm Hg or higher... The foundation for the paper is the recognition that primary care physicians cannot do it all. They need to work more effectively with medical assistants, nurses and other members of practice team. Read the full article.

SPECIAL - The Important Role of Ambulatory Care Nurses: In a recent opinion piece published in The Hill, AAACN member Rachel Start advocates that nurses are key to connecting the dots in health care and notes how important it is to engage and empower nurses in the community and ambulatory settings to meet patients where they are. She highlights AAACN's work in supporting nurses in ambulatory settings, including the RN Role Position Statement and the NSI Report. Read the full article.

Nursing on Thanksgiving: a Different Kind of Blessing - Disease does not take a holiday off – not even Thanksgiving. Nurses work on Thanksgiving and must take steps to manage working on holidays. Few people choose to work on Thanksgiving Day. But remember, even fewer people would actually choose to be a patient on a holiday. With that thought in mind, recall a career in the nursing field involves not only skills and knowledge, but caring and understanding attitudes as well. Read the full article.

Creating a Fair and Just Culture in Schools of Nursing - The quality and safety of patient care depends not only on what happens in clinical settings, but also on what happens in academic settings. How and what students learn—and how nursing faculty and their clinician partners approach teaching—matters. Read the full article.

What Student Nurses Can Learn from Inmates - Nursing students who spent their community rotation in a maximum security prison began to appreciate the complex life-experiences that impact the health of the individuals they serve. Read the full article.

Supporting HHS’s Opioid Initiative - Deaths from drug overdoses have risen steadily over the past two decades and have become the leading cause of injury death in the United States. Prescription drugs, especially opioids, have been increasingly implicated in drug overdose deaths over the last decade. In response to recent increases in opioid-related morbidity and mortality, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has made addressing the opioid abuse problem a high priority. HHS is focused on implementing evidence-based approaches to reduce opioid overdoses and overdose-related mortality and the prevalence of opioid use disorder. Read the full article.

Hurricane health effects will not blow over quickly and make lasting impact on public health. While preservation of life was the focus during the storms and soon after, when each storm passes focus turns to cleanup, assessing damage and rebuilding, all of which can take weeks, months, even years. Read the full article by Sallie Jimenez on Nurse.com.

What’s one of America’s most dangerous jobs? It’s not what you think. Nurse Elise Wilson was stabbed multiple times in July by a patient unhappy with his medical care. The Massachusetts legislation seeking better protections for nurses is named after her. They are routinely yelled at, spat at, pummeled, kicked, scratched and even stabbed by the people they’re trying to save. In many states, being a nurse is more dangerous than being a police officer or a prison guard. It’s a profession with a stunning amount of violence. Read the full article.

Lessons Learned from Litigation: Legal and Ethical Consequences of Social Media. The American Journal of Nursing's legal and ethical contributing editors offer insight on the issues raised by a case in which a Canadian nurse's Facebook post complaining about a family member's medical care resulted in disciplinary action by the licensing board. Misunderstandings regarding the constitutional protection of free speech can lead to legal problems. Don't miss this interview with the authors. Read the full article.

Improving Patient Wellness by Empowering Nurses - Nurses are our front line of patient care, so leading hospitals are providing them with the tools to speak up and effect real change. Health care is growing increasingly complex. Everyone from hospitals and insurance companies to health care providers are looking for ways to improve the process and, more importantly, outcomes for patients and their families. Leading-edge hospitals know the most direct route to enhancing patient outcomes is to invest in those closest to the patients — nurses. Read the full article.

September is Sepsis Awareness Month - Watch a video from the CDC: "Four Ways to Get Ahead of Sepsis," and access fact sheets, videos, and many more resources to help prevent and prepare for Sepsis. View resources from the CDC.

Positive News for the Future of Personal Connected Health - Studies show that technology can help everyday Americans engage more actively with their personal health and wellness. The alarming growth of diabetes and obesity and a rapidly aging population are fueling the demand for personal connected health technologies that facilitate health-related interactions between individuals and their health care providers and/or caregivers. Read the full article.

From Nurse.com - Nurses and physicians in the National Guard are being called to help with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, while other nurses make their way to Texas. “It is imperative that we do everything possible to protect the lives and safety of people across the state of Texas as we continue to face the aftermath of this storm,” Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas said in a Military.com article. Read the full Nurse.com article.

Encouraging New Nurse Authorship - I've been a nurse for more than 20 years and have worked with some truly gifted professionals. I regularly see seasoned nurses use their clinical knowledge to save rapidly deteriorating patients, their communication skills to deescalate a volatile situation, and their compassion to help ease the agony of loss. Heavey, Elizabeth PhD, RN, CNMNursing: August 2017 - Volume 47 - Issue 8 - p 37–39doi: 10.1097/01.NURSE.0000521025.92390.c6. Feature: NEW HORIZONS. Read the full article.

E-Cigarette Use Linked with Future Cigarette Smoking. From JAMA Pediatr. 2017;171(8):788-797. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.1488 - Findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis of nine longitudinal studies indicate that e-cigarette use is an independent risk factor for subsequent cigarette smoking initiation in adolescents and young adults. Read the full article.

Improving Diagnostic Safety - Diagnostic error is a significant and under-recognized threat to patient safety. AHRQ is funding research to better understand how these errors happen and what can be done to prevent them. According to the AHRQ-sponsored report, Improving Diagnosis in Health Care Link to Exit Disclaimer, published by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2015, most patients will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime. These errors occur in all settings of care, contribute to about 10 percent of patient deaths, and are the primary reason for medical liability claims. Read the full article.

Is Watermelon Good for You? There's promising news for your blood pressure in terms of health benefits, it has a lot going for it. It’s sweet and tastes like a treat, but it’s also low in calories, high in fiber, hydrating, and rich in nutrients. And watermelon may even help to lower your blood pressure, too. Read the full article about this refreshing, summer favorite!

Improving Patient Wellness by Empowering Nurses - Patient Safety Nurses are our front line of patient care, so leading hospitals are providing them with the tools to speak up and effect real change. Health care is growing increasingly complex. Everyone from hospitals and insurance companies to health care providers are looking for ways to improve the process and, more importantly, outcomes for patients and their families. Read the full article.

Keeping Lonely Seniors Company Can Help Keep Them Healthy- Research shows older adults who feel lonely are at greater risk of memory loss, strokes, heart disease and high blood pressure. The health threat is similar to that of smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to AARP. Researchers say that loneliness and isolation are linked to physical inactivity and poor sleep, as well as high blood pressure and poor immune functioning. Read the full article.

Falsification in nursing - There’s no shortage of penalties for falsification. When anyone falsifies information about themselves, it is a serious matter, as it is obviously misleading, deceptive and reflects on your trustworthiness. But it is extremely serious when a nurse does this. Read the full article.

Nursing Leader Describes Positive Impact of Ambulatory Care Nurses - The increasingly vital role of ambulatory care nurses in health care today is the focus of this interview with Rachel E. Start, MSN, RN, Director of Ambulatory Care Nursing at Rush Oak Park Hospital. Ms. Start, who co-led AAACN's initiative on developing the landmark AAACN Ambulatory Care Nurse-Sensitive Indicator Industry Report. This interview describes how nurses are leading the shift in health care today toward promoting health, preventing disease, and coordinating care. Watch the interview.

An article by Diana Harmon, MSN, MHA, RN, CCCTM, Chairperson, Certified in Care Coordination and Transition Management (CCCTM™) Test Development and Item Writers committees, Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board (MSNCB), has been included in a USA Today supplement, Investing in Our Nurses, published by MediaPlanet. The supplement was distributed nationally May 12 to coincide with National Nurses Week.

Diana’s article is entitled “A New and Important Certification for Those Called to Serve,” and is expected to be read online by an estimated 3+ million readers. This article describes how patients are falling through the cracks in today’s health care system due to the lack of coordinated care, and how RNs are uniquely qualified to provide this crucial service. Diana also outlines the value of CCCTM certification for nurses, patients, facilities, and the entire U.S. health care system. Read the article.

Skin Care and Aging - Skin changes with age. It becomes thinner, loses fat, and no longer looks as plump and smooth as it once did. Veins and bones can be seen more easily. Scratches, cuts, or bumps can take longer to heal. Years of sun tanning and lengthy sunlight exposure may lead to wrinkles, dryness, age spots, and even cancer. But there are ways to protect skin and to make it feel and look better. The National Institute on Aging’s Skin Care and Aging fact sheet has practical information about skin topics such as dry skin, itching, wrinkles, age spots, and more. View the the fact sheet.

Juliana Ejedoghaobi was born with sickle cell disease, a condition in which the body’s red blood cells are sickle shaped. It slows or blocks blood flow to parts of the body, causing intense pain called “crisis.” Hear Juliana’s story about how her nurses played a big supporting and influential role during her time in the clinical trial. View the inspirational video from the NIH.

Dehydration Headache: Know the Causes, Signs, and Treatments How does a dehydration headache develop? Dehydration reduces your blood volume, and this, in turn, affects that amount of oxygen-rich blood flowing to the brain. Whatever the mechanisms that might underpin dehydration headaches, there is scientific evidence that can help reassure you that you aren’t imagining them. Help your patients recognize the signs. Read the full article.

Retention of older nurses is preservation of human capital, knowledge, and expertise. It is not enough to increase the age at which nurses can retire. Organizational leaders must consider strategies to retain nurses by enhancing job satisfaction and providing physical accommodations. Creating a positive work environment that empowers older nurses to feel a sense of belonging and purpose is vital. The numbers say it all; 53% of working nurses are over age 50, while 72% of full-time nursing faculty are age 50 and over. We must work hard for those who have worked so long for us. To learn more, see Middaugh (2016) - Valuing our senior nurses. MEDSURG Nursing, 25(6), 433-434. (Note, this is a paid article to view).

MS Awareness Month is Here! Let’s inspire each other by sharing breakthroughs that will change the world for people with MS! What is MS? Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Read more about MS.

Nurse residencies: A new frontier - While nurse residency programs increasingly are becoming the norm in hospitals throughout the country, the pioneers of the first program had no idea they had tapped into a need that would soon be elevated to national attention. Read the full article.

Nurse's team writes patient stories into the EHR system. At UCLA Health, the electronic health records system has all the bells and whistles it needs to be the useful tool and care diary it’s intended to be, with one major bonus: the patient story is in the spotlight, in large part due to the ingenuity of RN Ellen Pollack and her team. Read the full article.

Partnering With Nurses to Transform Primary Care - This JAMA article reinforces that registered nurses are key to transforming primary care practice, which will require visionary and vocal leadership from leaders of nursing and medical schools, primary care practices, health care organizations, and policy makers. Read the full article.