Editor-in-Chief Shawn Kennedy and clinical managing editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the March issue. AJN’s cover features a lithograph titled A Map of the Open Country of a Woman’s Heart, linking to this month’s CE, “Update on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Women.” The second CE is an original research article that evaluates a hand hygiene campaign at two outpatient health care clinics. And of course, there’s News, an AJN Reports on the economy and nursing employment, a Viewpoint on advance care planning, Drug Watch, Art of Nursing, Reflections, and more.

Medication regimens in patients with Parkinson’s Disease may be complex, partly owing to the short one-to-two hour half-life of the primary medication, carbidopa-levodopa (Sinemet). When these patients are subject to prolonged medication withholding because of NPO restrictions prior to surgery, symptoms become exacerbated quickly and patients can become agitated, hallucinate and suffer extreme rigidity. AJN editor in

chief Shawn Kennedy discusses the findings of these two studies with the authors and the implications for nurses.

The article details how a public health nurse (Matthews) teamed-up with a mother (Moore) who lost her young son to SIDS. Together, they helped change Arkansas child-care licensing regulations to mandate safe sleeping practices. AJN editor in chief Shawn Kennedy talks with them and pediatrician David Matthews (husband of Rebecca and Moore’s pediatrician) about their successful public health initiative.

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and clinical managing editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the February issue of the American Journal of Nursing. AJN’s cover features a color-enhanced X-ray showing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) developing in the lungs of an 83-year-old man, tying in with one of this month’s CE articles on “COPD Exacerbations.” The second CE is a qualitative original research article describing the perioperative experiences of patients with Parkinson’s Disease. And of course, there’s News, an AJN Reports on post-Sandy health care recovery, a Viewpoint on minorities in the nursing profession, Drug Watch, Art of Nursing, Reflections, and more.

We know that traditional health counseling for obese children and adolescents, in which we prescribe more exercise and better eating habits, hasn’t been all that successful. AJN editor in chief Shawn Kennedy speaks with Viewpoint author Bonnie Gance-Cleveland about her work with obese teens and their families that began with an initiative by NAPNAP in 1996 and has become her focus. She discussed using motivational interviewing as a collaborative approach to help families change.

While growth in many other professions have seen more balance in the sexes, this has not been true for nursing. Men still represent fewer than 10% of licensed RNs since 2000. AJN’s editor in chief discusses the issues with the authors (in photo, Bonnie Schmidt with Brent MacWilliams, and Michael Bleich), examining what factors might be barriers to more men becoming nurses and how might the professional change them.

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and clinical managing editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the January issue of the American Journal of Nursing. This month’s cover features male RN Tung Tran, as part of this month’s focus on men in nursing and the unique challenges they face in the field. This issue also offers two CE features. The first is an original research article highlighting the hazards of perioperative medication disruptions in patients with Parkinson’s disease. The second CE is a literature review of what gender-related issues male nurses experience at work. And of course, there’s News, an AJN Reports on navigating the PSA screening dilemma, our 2012 Book of the Year Awards Viewpoint, Drug Watch, Art of Nursing, Reflections, and more.

Editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy and clinical managing editor Karen Roush present the highlights of the December 2012 issue of the American Journal of Nursing. This month’s cover features Syrian children forced to flee from the violence in their country. This issue also offers two CE features: one on the importance of sufficient staffing during all shifts to avoid certain hazards. The second CE discusses missing incidents from wandering in patients with dementia. This month’s ethical issues column explores ethical nursing care for transgender patients, and our legal clinic column explains how nurses can protect their licenses. And of course, there’s News, an AJN Reports on global health worker shortages, Viewpoint, Drug Watch, Art of Nursing, Reflections, and more.

AJN’s editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy talks with author Meredeth Rowe about her CE feature article this month, in which she explains the difference between missing incidents in people with dementia, and dementia-related ‘wandering;’ a distinction that is critical to assessment, intervention, and prevention.

Many people erroneously consider depression to be an inevitable part of aging, but this is untrue. AJN’s editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy talks with author Cynthia Cahoon about her review article, in which she provides an overview of depression in older adults and offers information on screening, treatments and implications for nurses.