The pregnant orthopaedic patient and medication concerns.

It is not every day that nurses practicing in an orthopaedic setting must care for a pregnant patient. However, when they do, there are medication concerns about two patients--the pregnant patient and the fetus. The pregnant patient will need relief from pain and discomfort at the same time that the fetus will need to be protected from medications that pose potential fetal risk.

Timed release analgesics: Part 1. Narcotics.

The problem of relieving patients' pain is a major challenge for health care professionals. New formulations of time-released pain medications offer exciting possibilities. However, there are cautions and patient education factors that are important when considering any timed-release product.

Prevention of venous ulceration by use of compression after deep vein thrombosis.

Venous ulcers may result from damage to the lining of the veins after an occurrence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). As the pressure in the damaged venous system remains pathologically high, a result of DVT, swelling develops, hemosiderin staining develops around the ankle area, and varicosities often develop. These symptoms are part of the postphlebitic syndrome and are a precursor to formation of the chronic venous ulcer.

Ethics in the absence of truth.

Nurses are passionate about patients' rights; especially the right of all patients to full disclosure, autonomy, and decision making. When these patient rights have been violated by an absence of truth, by deception, or by lies, nurses become unwilling actors in a part they find neither wise nor ethical. This discomfort can negatively impact patient care and contributes to job dissatisfaction.

Using guided imagery to reduce pain and anxiety.

Guided imagery is a therapeutic technique that allows a person to use his or her own imagination to connect their body and mind to achieve desirable outcomes such as decreased pain perception and reduced anxiety. This article describes the use and application of guided imagery for clients in the home and the benefits to the agency. A step-by-step approach to teaching clients how to use guided imagery is included.

Nursing interventions revisited.

Medication administration is one of the most highly contested tasks delegated by registered nurses to others. Readers are encouraged to complete this brief survey asking about which nursing interventions must be performed by an RN versus those that can be safely delegated.

Alcohol use in women 65 years of age and older.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between depression, codependency, self-coherence, and alcohol use and health outcomes in women 65 years of age and older. The framework is Erikson's ego-development theory. A convenience sample of 238 women was obtained from women attending flu shot clinics.

Development of an online journal.

This article describes the historical development of an electronic nursing journal, (OJIN), from inception to reality. Planning focused on a needs analysis for an electronic journal, audience and marketing concerns, editorial board membership, and financing of the journal. Included are recommendations for those considering starting an online journal.

The economics of electronic journals.

High print journal subscription costs, access to desktop publishing software, and awareness of Internet capability are among several reasons that interest in the electronic publishing of scholarly journals is increasing rapidly. The economic considerations of electronic publishing are not as familiar, however, although the fingertip accessibility of electronic journals, and in some cases, the lack of subscription charges gives the impression that electronic journal publishing is a much less costly means of publishing. Such an impression receives qualified confirmation in this article as an overview of the costs of scholarly publishing is provided, and the costs of print and electronic journals are compared.

Electronic publishing: the movement from print to digital publication.

This article provides an overview of electronic publishing, describes how information increasingly is being exchanged within the scientific community, and discusses the scholarly qualifications of electronic venues. The following content is included: a.definition of electronic publishing; b.

Electronic journals: are they a paradigm shift?

Ejournals are becoming an accepted and necessary means of meeting the demands for the dissemination of knowledge. This introductory article discusses the recent "explosion" of ejournals and provides an explanation of what is meant by an "ejournal." Ejournals are explored within the traditional context of scholarship and a discussion of the "serials crisis" that promoted the inception of ejournals is presented.

Preventing DVT in orthopaedic patients.

Deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) is a serious and complicated aspect of orthopaedic surgery, especially in surgery that involves hip and knees. The possibility of pulmonary embolism as a consequence of DVT is life-threatening and the costs associated with treating DVT are enormous. The emotional consequences of pain, extended isolation, and impaired social interaction impact every aspect of the lives of patients with DVT.

Common herbal remedies.

Herbal remedies are becoming increasingly popular as people seek more effective, natural, or safer methods for treating a variety of complaints. As a result, nurses in every setting may expect to see increased numbers of patients who are using herbal products. When patients assume that the nurses will be critical of their use of herbals, they may withhold such information to avoid unpleasantness.

Communication styles that promote perceptions of collaboration, quality, and nurse satisfaction.

Interdisciplinary collaboration has been identified as an essential element of quality health care. Often, however, the degree of interdisciplinary collaboration in health care settings is limited. This failure to collaborate is usually not due to ill intent, but rather to a lack of collaboration skills.