A comparison of opioid prescription trends in England and the United States from 2008 to 2020.

Background: The prescription opioid epidemic in the United States (US) is well documented, and recent measures have reduced prescribing rates in that country. Evidence suggests opioid prescriptions have been rising recently in other countries too.

Objective: The current paper aimed to compare trends in opioid prescribing in England and the US.

Meditation matters.

Meditation is a healing discipline that can lead to the deepest awareness of the present moment through quieting the mind. And it can have positive physical and emotional effects.

The effect of an active arm action on heart rate and predicted VO(2max) during the Chester step test.

This study examined whether the predictive outcomes of the Chester step test (CST) would be influenced by arm dynamics. Participants completed the CST on two separate occasions, once using active arms and once using passive arms. Results revealed that when compared to the passive arm protocol, the use of active arms led to a mean increase in heart rate of approximately 7 beats per minute across all of the incremental stages.

Counselling the spirit.

A 'spiritual director' may be able to help practitioners become more insightful, rounded nurses.

The radiology task: Bayesian theory and perception.

The use of a Bayesian framework to understand how radiologists search images for pathology is important as it formalizes, mathematically, how visual and cognitive processes control eye movements by modelling the ideal searcher against which human performance can be compared. It is important that the interpretation of medical images is understood so that new developments in the ways images are presented and the use of image processing software are matched to human abilities and limitations.

A healthy insight.

Nurses can function more effectively in their intimate and emotional relationships with patients if they learn to know and nurture themselves.

Who do you think you are?

Personality inventories are common in employment practice but the Enneagram offers nurses a way to see how they can grow and also get the best out of their colleagues.

Healing by gentle touch ameliorates stress and other symptoms in people suffering with mental health disorders or psychological stress.

Previous studies on healing by gentle touch in clients with various illnesses indicated substantial improvements in psychological well-being, suggesting that this form of treatment might be helpful for people with impaired quality of mental health. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of healing by gentle touch in subjects with self-reported impairments in their psychological well-being or mental health. One hundred and forty-seven clients who identified themselves as having psychological problems received four treatment sessions.