Journal of Vascular Nursing RSS feed: Current Issue. Journal of Vascular Nursing provides clinical information regarding aortic and peripheral aneurysms, upper and lower extremity arterial disease, acute and chronic venous disease, and more. Original, peer-reviewed articles present descriptions, etiologies, diagnostic procedures, medical and surgical treatment and nursing implications of vascular system disorders.http://www.jvascnurs.net/?rss=yesElsevier Inc.en © 2010 Society for Vascular Nursing, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc All rights reserved. Journal of Vascular Nursing1062-0303281March 2010 © 2010 Society for Vascular Nursing, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc All rights reserved. healthpermissions@elsevier.comhttp://www.jvascnurs.net/article/PIIS1062030309001290/abstract?rss=yes Nurses comprise the largest group of healthcare providers. Nurses are considered to be trusted patient advocates and caring, compassionate people. Patients and their family members often write letters of appreciation and enter comments on satisfaction surveys, such as “excellent nurses” and “nursing care was the best.” Many nurses have also received individual thanks, expressed in letters, notes and surveys. Hospitals endeavor to achieve Magnet Recognition, which heralds nursing excellence and indeed sends a positive message to nurses, hospitals and the public at large. This recognition is very meaningful and is not to be taken lightly. However, caring and advocacy should not be the only attributes used to describe the valuable contributions of nurses. Nursing excellence, quality patient outcomes, and exemplary professional practice are essential to enhance recognition and acknowledgment of the complex contributions of nursing. What nurses contribute and what they know require incredible skill, determination, competence and dedication. The value of nursing and nursing expertise is truly profound.From the Editor's Perspective…Cindy Lewis10.1016/j.jvn.2009.12.001Journal of Vascular Nursing 28, 1 (2010)2010-03-01Journal of Vascular Nursing2010-03-01281S1062-0303(10)X0002-4Perspectives11http://www.jvascnurs.net/article/PIIS106203030900106X/abstract?rss=yesThe purpose of this study is to describe and interpret what it means for patients to be diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and how they experience treatment. AAA is usually asymptomatic and often discovered coincidentally in conjunction with a diagnostic workup for other medical problems. Twenty patients who had undergone 2 different surgical procedures were sequentially invited for interviews 1 month following surgery. A hermeneutic approach was used. For all patients three themes emerged: an inability to come to terms with a life-threatening condition, a sense of living on borrowed time, and a sense of being granted a new lease on life. The theme that emerged for patients with open repair was that diagnosis with AAA was an ordeal to endure, while the theme for patients who underwent endovascular treatment was a sense of gratitude, security, and insecurity. Once the aneurysm was discovered patients were convinced that they were both blessed and saved, along with a sense of gratitude. Pre- and postoperative nursing care strategies can be developed based on the findings from this study.The drama of being diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm and undergoing surgery for two different procedures: Open repair and endovascular techniquesMonica Pettersson, Ingegerd Bergbom10.1016/j.jvn.2009.10.001Journal of Vascular Nursing 28, 1 (2010)2010-03-01Journal of Vascular Nursing2010-03-01281S1062-0303(10)X0002-4Articles210http://www.jvascnurs.net/article/PIIS1062030309001071/abstract?rss=yesCoronary angiography is one of the most common hospital procedures, though there is limited information on the location and extent of coronary artery blockages other than for predominately White patients. This study examined the location and magnitude of coronary artery blockages in patients admitted to a leading tertiary heart hospital in Iran with symptoms of coronary artery disease (CAD). This retrospective descriptive study aimed to review angiography records of all patients with symptoms of CAD undergone diagnostic coronary angiography between February 2002 and September 2004. A total of 94 consecutive angiographic records were analyzed to determine the culprit coronary arteries and the severity of CAD. The findings of the study showed that double- vessel disease was the commonest type of CAD. The left anterior descending (LAD) artery was the most common culprit artery (84%), followed by RCA (64%), CX (37%), OM (13%) and LMS (3%). Our study showed a relatively high angiographic prevalence of LAD blockages. The results of this study provide additional support for the significance of ethnicity in the extent of coronary artery blockages.A description of gender differences in angiographic findings in a single-center Iranian hospitalAmir Afshin Khaki, Arash Khaki, Mehrdad Heydari, Leila Gholizadeh10.1016/j.jvn.2009.10.002Journal of Vascular Nursing 28, 1 (2010)2010-03-01Journal of Vascular Nursing2010-03-01281S1062-0303(10)X0002-4Articles1113http://www.jvascnurs.net/article/PIIS1062030309001277/abstract?rss=yesNurses are active participants in caring for people with wounds and use their systematic knowledge to plan care. However, to apply adequate treatment, nurses need efficient tools to assess their patients' conditions. The purpose of this study was to characterize the tissue integrity and perfusion of the lower limbs of patients with venous ulcers based on Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) indicators. This cross-sectional, exploratory and descriptive study consisted of questionnaire information and physical examination of 49 patients with venous ulcers monitored in an outpatient clinic in the metropolitan region of Maracanaú. The statistical software package SPSS v. 13.0 was used to store and process data. Female patients were predominant; most were 60 years old or older and most were retirees or pension holders living with their partners. Growth of hair and peripheral edema were the most critical operational indicators. The nursing outcome indicators for tissue integrity and perfusion were shown to be moderately compromised. The variable representing age was shown to be inversely related to tissue integrity. The presence of heart disease was also shown to influence tissue integrity. The diastolic blood pressure variable showed a negative correlation with tissue perfusion. The assessment of tissue integrity and perfusion based on NOC indicators presented as advantages the possibility of examining several characteristics of the skin from the many operational indicators, the adaptation of parameters according to the study's results and the quantification of the compromise of these outcomes.Characterization of health status with regard to tissue integrity and tissue perfusion in patients with venous ulcers according to the nursing outcomes classificationFrancisca Aline Arrais Sampaio Santos, Renata Pereira de Melo, Marcos Venícios de Oliveira Lopes10.1016/j.jvn.2009.11.001Journal of Vascular Nursing 28, 1 (2010)2010-03-01Journal of Vascular Nursing2010-03-01281S1062-0303(10)X0002-4Articles1420http://www.jvascnurs.net/article/PIIS1062030309001265/abstract?rss=yesDiane Smith, Chair, MSN, APRN, GNP-BC, CEN, Vascular Surgery Nurse Practitioner, Alegent Health Bergan Mercy Medical Center, Omaha, NE. Theresa DeVeaux, MS, ACNP-BC, CVN, Nurse Practitioner, Maryland Vascular Center, Baltimore Washington Medical Center, Baltimore, MD.2009 Clinical Practice Guideline for Patients Undergoing Carotid Endarterectomy (CEA)SVN Task Force for Clinical Practice Guideline Members10.1016/j.jvn.2009.10.003Journal of Vascular Nursing 28, 1 (2010)2010-03-01Journal of Vascular Nursing2010-03-01281S1062-0303(10)X0002-4Clinical Practice Guideline2146http://www.jvascnurs.net/article/PIIS1062030309001307/abstract?rss=yesWork interruptions have been known to be one of the significant reasons behind nursing medication errors. Previous research has not examined the work interruptions (WI) that occur specifically during medication administration rounds. The purpose of this study was to document the rate, sources, secondary tasks undertaken, duration and approaches used by nurses to handle WI during medication administration rounds. Medication administration rounds were defined as the duration of time encompassing when a nurse started and ended the administration of all assigned patient medications due at a specific time. Work interruptions were defined as a break in the task activity, as evidenced by a stop of or pause in the task.Review of an Article: Biron, A., Lavoie-Tremblay, M., Loiselle, C (2009). Characteristics of work interruptions during medication administration. J Nurs Scholarsh; 41(4):330-336Kathleen Rich10.1016/j.jvn.2009.12.002Journal of Vascular Nursing 28, 1 (2010)2010-03-01Journal of Vascular Nursing2010-03-01281S1062-0303(10)X0002-4Research Column4747http://www.jvascnurs.net/article/PIIS106203031000004X/abstract?rss=yesTable of contents10.1016/S1062-0303(10)00004-XJournal of Vascular Nursing 28, 1 (2010)2010-03-01Journal of Vascular Nursing2010-03-01281S1062-0303(10)X0002-4FrontmatterA1A1http://www.jvascnurs.net/article/PIIS1062030310000051/abstract?rss=yesInformation for authors10.1016/S1062-0303(10)00005-1Journal of Vascular Nursing 28, 1 (2010)2010-03-01Journal of Vascular Nursing2010-03-01281S1062-0303(10)X0002-4FrontmatterA2A3http://www.jvascnurs.net/article/PIIS1062030310000063/abstract?rss=yesInformation for readers10.1016/S1062-0303(10)00006-3Journal of Vascular Nursing 28, 1 (2010)2010-03-01Journal of Vascular Nursing2010-03-01281S1062-0303(10)X0002-4FrontmatterA4A4