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Hospital length of stay (LOS) has become increasingly important as a metric of health care efficiency and has also been associated with patient outcomes (Ghosh et al., 2023). The shift [...]

This year (2023) marks the 50th year of the publication of the official journal of the American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA). To recognize this event, we conducted an archival review of the journal dating back to the first issue. The review provided a glimpse into the care of patients with kidney disease and the history of nephrology nursing. This article focuses on the early years of the journal. Key Words: History, nephrology nursing, kidney disease, transplant, dialysis., This year (2023) is the 50th year of publication of our association's journal. This milestone anniversary of the Nephrology Nursing Journal (NNJ) provided an opportunity to delve into the journal [...]

Article reviewed: Dageforde, L.A., English, R.A., & Kizer, K.W. (2023). Achieving equity in organ transplantation: Recommendations for action based on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Report. Transplantation, [...]

Key Words: Shared decision-making, chronic kidney disease, older adult. Article reviewed: Frazier, R., Levine, S., Porteny, T., Tighiouart, H., Wong, J. B., Isakova, T., Koch-Weser, S., Gordon, EJ., Weiner, D.E., [...]

The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) provides extensive data regarding the performance of various aspects of the national transplant system and a tier rating system that can aid patients in selecting their transplant center. The role of the SRTR is to provide clear, accurate, and timely information to regulatory agencies and transplant professionals, candidates, and recipients; live organ donors; donor families; and the general public. This overview provides basic information on the history and role of the SRTR, as well as changes made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key Words: Transplant, Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, quality, performance., [NC PD] 1.3 contact hours Dialysis providers and patients have become familiar with Dialysis Facility Compare as the official source for data on the quality of dialysis facilities in the [...]

Article Reviewed: Kadatz, M., Lan, J.H., Brar, S., Vaishnav, S., Chang, D.T., Gill, J., & Gill, J.S. (2022). Transplantation of patients with long dialysis vintage in the current deceased donor [...]

Article Reviewed Chen, G., Siahaan, J., Leon Novelo, L., Rizvi, I., De Golovine, A., Edwards, A., Pai, A., & Dar, W.A. (2022). Impact of health literacy on kidney transplant listing. [...]

In recent years, there has been increased attention paid to the inappropriate use of race in clinical diagnoses and medical decision-making, and the role it plays in ongoing health and [...]

Article Reviewed Hippen, B.E., Axelrod, D.A., Maher, K., Li, R., Kumar, D., Caliskan, Y., Alhamad, T., Schnitzler, M., & Lentine, K.L. (2022). Survey of current transplant center practices regarding COVID-19 [...]

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused certain immunological concepts to enter the public consciousness, as the scientific and health care communities, and the population in general, seek a path forward in this extraordinary time. Nephrology nurses are uniquely situated to assist their patients in understanding these concepts but may not feel confident in their own knowledge. The following is a high-level overview of basic immunology that can assist the nephrology nurse in the care and education of patients with kidney failure, as well as those in the community who may seek guidance and clarification of the issues that are inherent in the global response to COVID-19. Key Words: Innate immune system, adaptive immune system, immunization, herd immunity, COVID-19, coronavirus, nephrology nurse, vaccine., The human body is at constant risk from the various organisms and toxins in the surrounding environment, as well as from changes that can occur within the body itself, and [...]

Question: What is the evidence regarding kidney transplant outcomes in older adults? The incidence of end stage renal disease (ESRD) is higher in patients over age 65 years than in [...]

Article Reviewed Backhouse, A., & Ogunlayi, F. (2020). Quality improvement into practice. BMJ, 368. https://doi.org/10.1136/ bmj.m865 Nurses have been participating in quality improvement (QI) since the time of Florence Nightingale. [...]

Questions: What were some of the key changes recently made to the kidney allocation system? What is the evidence with regard to the performance of the new kidney allocation system [...]

Previous research has demonstrated improved outcomes for patients on dialysis who have better quality of life and self-efficacy, but has focused almost exclusively on those receiving hemodialysis. The goal of this study was to describe the quality of life and self-efficacy of patients receiving incenter hemodialysis versus those receiving a home dialysis modality (hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis). The study utilized a correlational cross-sectional design and quota sampling methods. Participants were recruited from outpatient dialysis facilities and included 77 community dwelling adult patients who had been on dialysis for at least six months. Quality of life was measured using the Kidney Disease Quality of Life instrument, and self-efficacy was measured using the Strategies Used by People to Promote Health instrument. Findings suggest equal outcomes between treatment groups, with no contraindication to the use of home therapies. Key Words: Quality of life, self-efficacy, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis., Goal To provide an overview of the quality of life of patients receiving incenter dialysis versus those receiving a home dialysis modality (hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis). Objectives 1. Explain how [...]

Question: What is the evidence regarding steroid withdrawal or avoidance strategies and the effect on acute rejection and graft survival? Corticosteroids have played a major role in immunosuppressive therapy since [...]

A patient receiving hemodialysis contracted hepatitis B, and was treated with injections of hepatitis B vaccine. Two days after receiving the second of four planned injections, the lab report showed positive results for hepatitis B antigen and negative anti-antigens. The initial response is usually reported by dialysis units which do frequent monitoring for hepatitis B., Patient Profile C.A. is a 69-year-old male with end stage renal disease (ESRD) secondary to a long-standing history of hypertension. C.A. began hemodialysis in July 1995. Initial blood work revealed [...]

Two letters to the editor are presented in response to the article "Is Equal Opportunity Turning Into A Witch Hunt?" in the May 29, 1978 issue.