Journal Articles by BWH Nurses

Nurse Educator Vince Vacca, right, with Silas Fitzgerald, RN, in the Neuroscience ICU.
Vincent M. Vacca, Jr., MSN, RN, CCRN, nurse educator for the Neuroscience ICU, published an educational column and crossword puzzle in the Aug. 28 ADVANCE for Nurses. As part of an “Ask the Experts” feature, Vacca wrote a question and answer column about learning a new role that includes ideas and experiences he has benefited from in developing his role as a clinical nurse educator.

ADVANCE for Nurses, August 28, 2006 Volume 5 Number 19 page 34, “Learning A New Role”

Vacca also published a neurologically-focused crossword puzzle that can be used as a challenging tool for learning and an enjoyable activity.

ADVANCE for Nurses, August 28, 2006 Volume 5 Number 19 page 54, “Shift Change”

In September, Vacca published an article about ischemic stroke: “ACTION STAT, Acute ischemic stroke,” Nursing 2006, September VOL.36 NO.9 pp80

Howard ‘Tom’ Blanchard, MEd, RN, CEN, of the Emergency Department, published an article about motorcycle safety in the August Journal of Emergency Nursing.

Many emergency nurses do not understand and may disparage motorcyclists who ride with an ever-present risk of injury. Blanchard’s article examines this phenomenon and educates nurses regarding some of the precipitating factors of motorcycle crashes so that nurses can connect with this patient population. Establishing a connection can open a teachable moment when the nurse can educate riders with respect to conspicuity, safety equipment and what constitutes experience.

Blanchard, H. & Tabloski, P. (2006) Motorcycle safety: educating riders at the teachable moment. J Emerg Nurs 32(4): 330-2.

Amy Rex Smith, DNSc, APRN, BC, per diem staff nurse on Tower 14AB, published an article about spiritual assessment in Critical Care Nurse.

Acute care nursing practice is driven by the pressing physiological needs of patients, but there are reasons to provide hospitalized patients with spiritual care, Rex Smith said. She writes how any nurse can provide spiritual care for patients in critical care settings using interventions organized by the Synergy Model. The interventions are identifying spiritual needs, assigning patients with spiritual needs to nurses who can meet them, making appropriate referrals, making space and time for religious rituals and spiritual practices and making connections between patients and their spiritual support systems.

Rex Smith, A.  (2006) Using the Synergy Model to provide spiritual nursing care in critical care settings. Critical Care Nurse, 26(4), 41-47.

Have you written a journal article that other nurses should read? E-mail bwhnurse@partners.org