An Introduction to Types of Quasi-Experimental Designs.

Editor's note: This is the 24th article in a series on clinical research by nurses. The series is designed to be used as a resource for nurses to understand the concepts and principles essential to research. Each column will present the concepts that underpin evidence-based practice-from research design to data interpretation.

An Introduction to the Crossover Trial Design.

Editor's note: This is the 23rd article in a series on clinical research by nurses. The series is designed to be used as a resource for nurses to understand the concepts and principles essential to research. Each column will present the concepts that underpin evidence-based practice-from research design to data interpretation.

Methods to Disseminate Nursing Research: A Brief Overview.

Editor's note: This is the 22nd article in a series on clinical research by nurses. The series is designed to be used as a resource for nurses to understand the concepts and principles essential to research. Each column will present the concepts that underpin evidence-based practice-from research design to data interpretation.

An Introduction to Implementing and Conducting the Study.

Editor's note: This is the 21st article in a series on clinical research by nurses. The series is designed to be used as a resource for nurses to understand the concepts and principles essential to research. Each column will present the concepts that underpin evidence-based practice-from research design to data interpretation.

Ethical Research and the Institutional Review Board: An Introduction.

Editor's note: This is the 20th article in a series on clinical research by nurses. The series is designed to be used as a resource for nurses to understand the concepts and principles essential to research. Each column will present the concepts that underpin evidence-based practice-from research design to data interpretation.

The Cluster Randomized Trial Study Design.

Editor's note: This is the 17th article in a series on clinical research by nurses. The series is designed to be used as a resource for nurses to understand the concepts and principles essential to research. Each column will present the concepts that underpin evidence-based practice-from research design to data interpretation.

Delivery of acupuncture in clinical trials: Research acupuncturists' perspectives.

Delivery of acupuncture in the setting of a clinical trial is a unique practice that diverges significantly from the delivery of acupuncture in a real-world clinical setting. Research acupuncturists, particularly those trained in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), are often required to set aside valued precepts of traditional care, including diagnosing imbalances, individualizing treatment, and forging a therapeutic relationship with patients. TCM-trained acupuncturists express mixed feelings about participating in clinical trials.

Efficacy Randomized Controlled Trials.

Editor's note: This is the 14th article in a series on clinical research by nurses. The series is designed to be used as a resource for nurses to understand the concepts and principles essential to research. Each column will present the concepts that underpin evidence-based practice-from research design to data interpretation.

Improving the Validity of Causal Inferences in Observational Studies.

Editor's note: This is the 13th article in a series on clinical research by nurses. The series is designed to be used as a resource for nurses to understand the concepts and principles essential to research. Each column will present the concepts that underpin evidence-based practice-from research design to data interpretation.

The Case for Moxibustion for Painful Syndromes: History, principles and rationale.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has evolved over thousands of years. TCM practitioners use various approaches (such as acupuncture and tai chi) as well as herbal products to address health problems. Though lesser known in the west, the practice of Moxibustion is an integral part of Traditional East Asian Medicine.

Exploring the Evidence: Symptom Burden in Chronic Kidney Disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is more prevalent in individuals with obesity, diabetes mellitus, or hypertension. Individuals with CKD are prone to kidney failure, with symptom experiences that rival those of patients with cancer. We explored symptom burden in individuals with CKD via a systematic review of 30 quantitative and qualitative articles.

Detecting Peripheral Neuropathy in Patients with Diabetes, Prediabetes and other High-Risk Conditions: An Advanced Practice Nurse's Perspective.

A common complication of diabetes, HIV infection, and other chronic systemic conditions and exposures, distal sensory peripheral neuropathy is increasingly prevalent worldwide; the physical, mental, and economic burdens are significant. As no curative therapies exist to date, early detection of peripheral neuropathy (PN) affords patients the best chance to reverse it through education, intensive lifestyle modifications, and multidisciplinary management. Concerning diabetic PN, obstacles to effective screening include low clinical priority, failure to screen patients during prediabetes, confusion regarding methods and goals of testing, and possibly inexperience with thermal testing.

Cohort Studies.

Editor's note: This is the seventh article in a series on clinical research by nurses. The series is designed to give nurses the knowledge and skills they need to participate in research, step by step. Each column will present the concepts that underpin evidence-based practice-from research design to data interpretation.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy: Person-centered care.

Patients with diabetes mellitus may experience painful and nonpainful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). This article offers an overview of DPN and the clinical assessment and management of patients with DPN, as well as the nurse's role in supporting these patients.

Assessment and Management of HIV Distal Sensory Peripheral Neuropathy: Understanding the Symptoms.

Distal sensory peripheral neuropathy (HIV-DSP) affects upwards of 50% of people living with HIV. Causing often debilitating symptoms of tingling, numbness and burning, HIV-DSP can result in disability, unemployment and low quality of life. Comorbidities further complicate nursing care, heightening risk of polypharmacy and symptom exacerbation.

Development of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Protocol in a Clinical Trial for Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Traditional Chinese medicine encompasses many different practices, most notably acupuncture and moxibustion. Traditionally, these modalities are used in combination to augment treatment but seldom are they tested together in clinical studies. Numerous acupuncture studies have been conducted in Asia, Europe, and the United States but there have been few randomized controlled trials utilizing moxibustion outside of East Asia.

Addressing the Role of Food in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptom Management.

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have often associated the worsening of symptoms with specific foods. Research is starting to catch up with what patients have reported about food interaction and their symptoms and the role of diet is being increasingly recognized for the management of IBS. Clinical guidance for nurse practitioners can be challenging due to limited data and guideline consensus along with the nuances of symptoms associated with IBS subtypes.

A Clinical Update: Nonceliac Gluten Sensitivity-Is It Really the Gluten?

Gluten-free diets are increasing in popularity among consumers and fueling a global market of gluten-free products. A gluten-free diet is the only treatment for celiac disease (CD). However, many patients are self-reporting and suspecting "gluten sensitivity" after gastrointestinal symptoms, such as bloating, abdominal pain, or diarrhea, resolve on a gluten-free diet without formal evaluation testing for food allergies or CD.

Tongue Inspection in TCM: Observations in a Study Sample of Patients Living with HIV.

One of the principal diagnostic methods in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the inspection of the tongue. This method involves examination of the shape, size, color, and texture of the tongue body and coat and helps reveal the state of organ functions and progression of conditions. Literature on tongue observations for patients who have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is minimal.

HIV peripheral neuropathy and foot care management: a review of assessment and relevant guidelines.

Despite the decline in the incidence of central nervous system disease associated with HIV, distal sensory peripheral (DSP) neuropathy continues to be prevalent in this population, causing debilitating symptoms and affecting quality of life. Patients typically present with numbness, tingling, burning pain, and loss of sensation in the toes and soles of their feet. Although this complication causes loss of protective function and puts patients at elevated risk for injury, infection, and falls, foot care for people with HIV is often overlooked.

Managing irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), characterized by abdominal pain or discomfort associated with a change in bowel patterns, is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders. Because no single drug effectively relieves all IBS symptoms, management relies on dietary and lifestyle modifications, as well as pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies. The authors review current approaches to treatment and discuss nursing implications.