Exploration of Nurse Practices and Attitudes Related to Postoperative Vital Signs.

Analysis of surgical nurses' attitudes toward postoperative vital sign (VS) assessment found tradition and ritual rather than research continue to drive postoperative VS assessment practices. Recommendations for practice, education, and research are made based on these findings.

The effect of Reiki on pain and anxiety in women with abdominal hysterectomies: a quasi-experimental pilot study.

The purpose of this pilot study was to compare reports of pain and levels of state anxiety in 2 groups of women after abdominal hysterectomy. A quasi-experimental design was used in which the experimental group (n = 10) received traditional nursing care plus three 30-minute sessions of Reiki, while the control group (n = 12) received traditional nursing care. The results indicated that the experimental group reported less pain and requested fewer analgesics than the control group. Also, the experimental group reported less state anxiety than the control group on discharge at 72 hours postoperation. The authors recommend replication of this study with a similar population, such as women who require nonemergency cesarian section deliveries.

Research dissemination and utilization.

Why does sun protection and skin cancer awareness need to be addressed? Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer. There has been a steady increase in the incidence of melanoma every year. Evidence shows that ultraviolet radiation from sun exposure during early life is associated with an increased risk of skin cancer in later life. The majority of skin cancer can be prevented by limiting sun exposure. Children and adolescents spend more time exposed to the sun than adults. What are the obstacles to skin cancer prevention? Public perception of tanning needs to be changed. The public associates well being with a tan. The public is uneducated on skin cancer prevention. Skin cancer awareness does not take precedence in our society. School health providers are not active in stressing the importance of avoiding sun exposure. How can nurses promote sun protection? Become educated in the identification of atypical lesions. Reinforce the benefits of sun protection. Recommend sun protection techniques to clients at every office visit. Partner with parents in stressing to children the importance of skin protection. For more information contact. The American Academy of Dermatology (www.aad.org). The American Medical Association. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Patient's perception of pain on admission and discharge from the emergency department.

Patients presenting to the emergency department have a common complaint of pain. Whether admitted to the hospital or discharged to home, patients are leaving the emergency department in a higher level of pain than would be considered tolerable or comfortable. Pain can be a major impediment to an adequate quality of life. Unrelieved or chronic pain causes anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, decreased self-esteem and self-worth, inactivity, altered family dynamics, financial stress and an increase in the number of health-care visits. The purpose of this study was to evaluate patients' perception and report of pain in the ED from the time of arrival to the time of discharge. The sample consisted of 63 females and 62 males from an ED of an urban hospital in Trenton, New Jersey. The mean age for the males was 40 years, and the mean age for the females was 41 years. The pain level of the participants was measured by the use of a visual analogue scale at the time of arrival and at the time of discharge from the ED. A paired t-test for related samples revealed that the VAS scores decreased from 5.90 to 3.38 (p = .000).