Focus On: Nursing Ethics

From: Lippincott's NursingCenter.com

As nurses, we are responsible to advocate for the patients we care for and to act in their best interests without causing harm. While this may sound easy enough, conflicts often arise. For example, when our own beliefs and experiences interfere with the care we provide or when what we consider the "best interest" of the patient differs from the wishes of the patient or his family. End-of-life issues, advance directives, living wills, refusal of care, and informed consent are just a handful of "buzz words" that bring ethical considerations to mind.
We've compiled a Nursing Ethics Resource Page to help you, our colleagues, be ready to handle any ethical issues that you may face. Reading and re-reading some of these articles have even called to mind ethical dilemmas that I've dealt with in past experiences and allowed me to work through some of my own personal issues. Take some time to browse through these articles, share them with friends, and even share your thoughts, ideas, and experiences with us by leaving your comments. Ethics is a topic which is sure to generate discussion, and what better way is there for us to learn?

Thank you!
Lisa M. Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP,Clinical Editor, NursingCenter.com

Public Health Advisory: FDA Issues Warning Regarding Levemir Insulin

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has learned that some stolen vials of the long-acting insulin Levemir made by Novo Nordisk Inc. have reappeared and are being sold in the U.S. market. Three lots or a total of 129,000 vials of this product were stolen in all. These stolen insulin vials may not have been stored and handled properly and may be dangerous for patients to use.
The FDA has received one report of a patient who suffered an adverse event due to poor control of glucose levels after using a vial from one of these three lots.
The agency is advising patients who use Levemir insulin to:
Check your personal supply of insulin to determine if you have Levemir insulin from one of the following lots: XZF0036, XZF0037, and XZF0038. Patients can locate the lot number on the side of the box of insulin and also on the side of the vial.
Do not use your Levemir insulin if it is from one of these lots. Replace it with a vial of Levemir insulin from another lot. If you must switch to another brand of insulin for any reason, first contact your healthcare provider as another insulin product may require adjustments in dosing.
Always visually inspect your insulin before using it. Levemir is a clear and colorless solution.
Contact the Novo Nordisk Customer Care Center at 800.727.6500 for what to do with vials from these lots or if you have any other questions.
For more information:George Strait, Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs U.S. Food and Drug Administration 301.796.4829

Current Diagnosis & Treatment in Gastroenterology Updated

Current Diagnosis & Treatment in Gastroenterology (2003) has been replaced with Current Diagnosis and Treatment in Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy (2009)

Current Diagnosis and Treatment in Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy provides complete coverage of diagnosing and treating digestive tract and liver disorders. Edited by the world-renowned team at Brigham and Women's Hospital of Harvard University, this new addition to the popular CURRENT series provides you with all you need to know for diagnosing and treating digestive tract and liver disorders.

Features:
* High-yield coverage of the entire spectrum of gastroenterology
and hepatology, from stomach and esophageal to pancreatic
and liver disorders
* Complete review of advances in diagnostic and therapeutic
endoscopy
* “Essentials of Diagnosis” bulleted lists deliver instant guidance
on identifying both common and rare digestive disorders
* Over 90 full-color endoscopic and other images of GI disorders
* Over 50 radiographic images clarify the use of the many currently
available imaging techniques
* Key information from related fields, including GI surgery,
and subspecialities such as liver transplantation, bariatric
surgery, inflammatory bowel disease and motility disorder.

For more eBooks, check out the Library Without Walls eBook page.

STAT!Ref Podcasts

NCLEX-RN® Success with Sally Lagerquist, RN, MS
STAT!Ref has partnered with Sally Lagerquist, RN, MS, author of Davis’s NCLEX-RN® Success, to provide a series of podcasts aimed at assisting students with their preparation for the NCLEX-RN® exam. Click on a section below and listen to the podcast or download it. Then, learn more about each section in the title in STAT!Ref.

The 2nd edition of Davis's NCLEX-RN® Success is based on the latest official NCLEX-RN® test plan and incorporates new question formats. It brings with it the expertise of an author who has spent nearly 40 years teaching exam prep. This resource has been key in the success of thousands of students taking the NCLEX-RN® exam.


Davis’s NCLEX-RN® Success, 2nd Ed. ©2006 F.A. Davis Company Publishers

Click on a link to listen. To download for your mp3 player, right click and select, "Save Target As...".

1. Test taking Techniques.mp3 (10:44)
2. Test taking Do's and Don'ts.mp3 (8:42)
3. Taking the Exam Soon.mp3 (6:31)
4. Repeat and International Test Takers.mp3 (12:49)
5. Most Frequently Tested Subjects.mp3 (7:51)
6. Focus on Psychiatric Nursing.mp3 (16:26)
7. Focus on Maternal-Newborn Nursing.mp3 (16:27)
8. Focus on Pediatric Nursing.mp3 (17:32)
9. Focus on Medical-Surgical Nursing Part1.mp3 (18:40)
10. Focus on Medical-Surgical Nursing Part2.mp3 (23:36)

September Issue of NIH News in Health

Announced by MidContinental Region News

The September issue of NIH News in Health, the monthly newsletter bringing you practical health news and tips based on the latest NIH research, is now online at http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/.

In this issue of NIH News in Health:
“Good Health to Go: Eating Smart at School”
“Back to School with Diabetes: Plan Ahead for a Smooth Start to School”
“Health Capsules”:

• Children’s Physical Activity Drops
• Diabetes and a Healthy Pregnancy
• Featured Web Site: NIDA Goes Back to School http://www.backtoschool.drugabuse.gov/
  
  Download a PDF version for printing http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/pdf/NIHNiH%20Sep08.pdf [scb]

AHFS DI Essentials: What's New in July 2008

New Monographs

• Antithymocyte Globulin (Rabbit): Antithymocyte globulin (rabbit) (ATG [rabbit]); rabbit-derived polyclonal antibody preparation; immunosuppressive agent.
• Atropine: Mydriatic and cycloplegic; naturally occurring tertiary amine antimuscarinic.
  Estazolam: Benzodiazepine, sedative and hypnotic.
• Guanfacine: Phenylacetyl-guanidine derivative hypotensive agent; selective α2-adrenergic agonist.
• Hydroquinone: Depigmenting agent; structurally related to monobenzone.
  Phenelzine: Hydrazine-derivative, nonselective monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor antidepressant.
• Sodium Chloride: Source of essential sodium and chloride ions.
• Tranylcypromine: Non-hydrazine derivative, nonselective monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor antidepressant; structurally similar to amphetamine.

Revised Monographs

• Abacavir: Antiretroviral; nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI).
• Adalimumab: Biologic response modifier and disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD); a recombinant DNA-derived human immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) monoclonal antibody specific for human tumor necrosis factor (TNF; TNF-α).
• Azacitidine: Antineoplastic agent; a synthetic pyrimidine nucleoside analog of cytidine.
  Darbepoetin Alfa: Biosynthetic (recombinant DNA origin) form of the glycoprotein hormone erythropoietin, a hematopoietic agent that principally affects erythropoiesis.
• Darunavir: Antiretroviral; HIV protease inhibitor (PI).
• Didanosine: Antiretroviral; nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI).
• Etanercept: Biologic response modifier and disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD); a recombinant DNA-derived human immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) monoclonal antibody specific for human tumor necrosis factor (TNF; TNF-α).
• Formoterol: Bronchodilator; a relatively selective, long-acting β2-adrenergic agonist.
• Metformin: Antidiabetic agent; a biguanide, chemically and pharmacologically unrelated to sulfonylurea antidiabetic agents.
• Montelukast: Antiasthmatic agent; leukotriene modifier.
• Natalizumab: Biologic response modifier; a recombinant humanized anti-α4-integrin monoclonal antibody.
• Oseltamivir: Antiviral; neuraminidase inhibitor; sialic acid analog.
• Sargramostim: Biosynthetic hematopoietic agent that affects the proliferation and differentiation of a variety of hematopoietic progenitor cells; a yeast-derived (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rHuGM-CSF).
• Tiotropium: Bronchodilator; a synthetic quaternary ammonium antimuscarinic agent.
• Zoledronic Acid: Synthetic bisphosphonate; bone resorption inhibitor.

Keeping up with Health Information

If you're struggling to keep up with health information, here's a fast and easy way to get control.

RSS feeds allow us to subscribe to newsletters, blogs, and journals online. The information is sent to my newsreader, and I check it 2 to 3 times a week. I no longer feel overwhelmed, because I don’t have more junk going to my email. I chose subscriptions relevant to my life, and I control the when I want to review the information.

If you are interested in this service, you can contact a librarian to assist you, or you can visit the Library Without Walls website for more information about RSS feeds, newsreaders, and suggestions for subscriptions.

I learned how to create RSS feeds from this video clip from CommonCraft: http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english