LETTERS , etc. TREATING OBESITY STARTS AT HOME
As a certified pediatric NP, I have examined, diagnosed, and treated numerous children with obesity (“Physical Activity in Schools Declines, Obesity Rates Climb: What Can Be Done?” AJN Reports, January). In my experience, the treatment of obesity (not otherwise caused by an underlying physiologic or psychological condition) begins at home. Increasing physical activity in the school setting is a worthy initiative. However, a family-centered and culture- focused approach to childhood obesity remains indispensable. Remembering and including the family are vital to a successful treatment plan, regardless of whether the child stands at her or his desk in school. April A. Bice, PhD, RN, CPNP Wilmington, NC
ELIMINATING INTIMIDATING AND DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR
We need to teach nursing students about the culture of nursing, what constitutes professional behavior, and how to deal with nurses who try to bully and intimidate them (“Stop the Eye Rolling: Supporting Nursing Students in Learning,” Viewpoint, January). Once, I was shadowing a nurse and an administrative assistant asked her why she bothered to take students, since most nurses she knew refused to work with them. My nurse replied, “It’s not like I like them. I just feel bad and have to take them.” I was standing right in front of her. This negative comment left me feeling worthless and made me question why I selected this profession. Every single one of us creates the future of our profession from the actions and behaviors we demonstrate today. When under pressure, it’s human nature to narrow our perception and focus on ourselves (“my patients” and “my tasks”). But these fast-paced, stressful times call for just the opposite. We need to eliminate intimidating ajn@wolterskluwer.com
and disruptive behaviors involving nursing staff and nursing students. As nurses, we have a respon sibility to mentor and lead those joining our ranks and to be the nurses others want to work with. I believe the following supportive behaviors can nurture and feed our young: Ask nursing students for feedback on what you can do to ensure they have a great experience. Approach students on your unit and ask them to honestly share their experiences, both positive and negative. Make sure students get their break, and offer to help frequently. Demonstrate caring. Manouchka Monteau, RN Brooklyn, NY
Experienced nurses continue to “eat our young,” and many of the perpetrators of incivilities in the workplace are supervisors, mentors, and coworkers. As a returning nursing student obtaining my bachelor of science in nursing, a nurse leader and supervisor for more than 15 years, and a nurse mentor, this article reminded me of my responsibilities to hold others accountable for their actions and to lead by example. There should be a zero tolerance policy toward incivilities in all health care institutions. Education and best practice strategies for the workplace should be implemented to mitigate these occurrences. Monitoring through audits of these practices should be conducted to ensure companies remain compliant; otherwise, funding should be withheld and potential penalties given. These regulations would hold companies accountable to implement processes to protect nurses. I plan to discuss this article on our Open Forum blog with the American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA) and will suggest that a team of experts work on educational material and best practice strategies for the workplace to share with companies in the dialysis industry. I would love to see this
topic discussed at the upcoming ANNA National Symposium. I also believe it’s imperative for federal regulators to set expectations and guidelines regarding incivilities in health care for institutions to follow in order to eliminate these practices, protect our nurses, and keep our patients safe. Jenny Ashcraft, MBA, RN Matthews, NC
MANAGING MEDICATION ERRORS
“Medication Management for People with Dementia” (February) was a helpful and useful article. Teaching medication management to family caregivers who care for a family member with dementia can be just as daunting as administering the medication myself. However, the authors didn’t discuss in depth how to handle medication errors. These errors can occur even after family caregivers are given the best education, especially when they are beginners. Medication error management is just as important as medication preparation and administration, and much needed knowledge would have been gained if the authors had further elaborated on how family caregivers can prevent and manage these errors. Joy Satorre, RN Jackson Heights, NY ▼
AJN welcomes letters to the editor regarding recently published articles, although critiques of original research may be submitted at any time. Submissions must be typed, contain fewer than 300 words, and must include the correspondent’s name, city and state, phone number, and e-mail address. Please include no more than three r eferences for any statistics or studies cited. Letters will be edited for length, clarity, and accuracy. Submission of a letter will constitute the author’s permission to publish it, although it doesn’t guarantee publication. Letters become the property of AJN and may be published in all media. Send letters to AJNLetters@wolterskluwer. com, or AJN Letters, Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10001, or (212) 886-1206 (fax). AJN ▼ April 2017
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Vol. 117, No. 4
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