Clinical Aromatherapy.

Clinical aromatherapy is an alternative medicine therapy that can be beneficial in the inpatient or outpatient setting for symptom management for pain, nausea, general well-being, anxiety, depression, stress, and insomnia. It is beneficial for preoperative anxiety, oncology, palliative care, hospice, and end of life. Essential oils can be dangerous and toxic, with some being flammable, causing skin dermatitis, being phototoxic with risk of a chemical burn, or causing oral toxicity or death.

Kidney Influence on Fluid and Electrolyte Balance.

The frontline nurse is confronted daily with patients that have some type of kidney dysfunction or disease. Some renal issues resolve themselves, some disorders can be reversed, and others are permanent. Major complications from kidney impairment discussed are fluid and electrolyte disequilibrium with common problems in volume overload, hyperkalemia, metabolic acidosis, hyperphosphatemia, and hormonal secretion.

Management of Acute Gastrointestinal Bleed.

Acute gastrointestinal bleeding is a common problem found in critically ill patients that can range from self-limited bleeding to a hemorrhaging emergency. Patients can quickly develop shock and altered mental status when they develop hemodynamic instability. Therefore, it is essential that the frontline critical care nurse develop self-efficacy for management of these disorders.

Pharmacologic Interventions for Pain Management.

Serious life-threatening respiratory depression may occur with pharmacologic pain intervention. The nurse has an ethical and legal duty to provide safe, quality, and accountable pain management. The nurse must acquire self-efficacy for the administration of pain medications for critically ill patients to prevent serious side effects and adverse reactions.

Transforming home health nursing with telehealth technology.

Telehealth technology is an evidence-based delivery model tool that can be integrated into the plan of care for mental health patients. Telehealth technology empowers access to health care, can help decrease or prevent hospital readmissions, assist home health nurses provide shared decision making, and focuses on collaborative care. Telehealth and the recovery model have transformed the role of the home health nurse.