Keeping Current

Perspectives

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Y Mary C. Brucker, PhD, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, is an assistant professor, adjunct, at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and she is the editor of Nursing for Women’s Health. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nwh.2017.02.008

nwhjournal.org

Years ago when I was in my basic nursing program, I remember an instructor in public health telling me that isoniazid (INH) was the only drug for treating tuberculosis that didn’t have side effects. It struck me as so important that I wrote it down (although it is likely I did so in case of a test). I believe this information probably was accurate at the time, but INH is now known to have a multitude of adverse effects, including liver damage. I use this memory to illustrate how knowledge continually changes and the importance of keeping current. Helping nurses stay current with the latest information that affects their care of women and newborns is central to our mission at Nursing for Women’s Health. I have been impressed by the number of groups of nurses who band together to support each other in writing endeavors in their

Keeping Current Mary C. Brucker attempts to share information. For those somewhat hesitant to publish, this issue includes an article (Chichester & Wool, 2017) on how to develop a personal group of experts to provide peer review before anything is even submitted and thereby increase the possibility of publication. It has always amazed me that “major medical insurance” purports to be comprehensive even while certain care, such as dental and even ophthalmic, requires separate policies, as if your mouth and eyes weren’t part of your body. This seems particularly ironic to me when the links between oral health and overall health are becoming clearer and clearer. Most of us appreciate good oral health as a strategy to decrease the risk of preterm birth. Yet evidence now is available regarding oral health and a variety of conditions such as fertility, gestational diabetes,

© 2017, AWHONN

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Perspectives knowledge continually changes and the importance of keeping current and a disorder termed “burning mouth syndrome.” More about these conditions, as well as how to conduct a basic oral exam, can be found in this issue (Kessler, 2017). Other articles in this issue include one that can provide yet another rationale for initiating Baby-Friendly care (Barabach et al., 2017) and one on contraception for adolescents (Hopkins, 2017). More clinically relevant information can be found in a call to action on climate change and health (Angelini, 2017). This issue is a potpourri of articles germane to the health care of women and newborns. There is nothing about INH in it, but the information contained hopefully will help us all keep current as evidence continues to emerge that makes a difference as we care for women and newborns. NWH

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Nursing for Women’s Health

References Angelini, K. (2017). Climate change, health, and the role of nurses. Nursing for Women’s Health, 21(2), 79–83. doi:10.1016/j.nwh.2017.02.003 Barabach, L., Ludington-Hoe, S. M., Dowling, D., & Lotas, M. (2017). Role of Baby-Friendly hospital care in maternal role competence. Nursing for Women’s Health, 21(2), 96–107. doi:10.1016/ j.nwh.2017.02.006 Chichester, M., & Wool, J. (2017). Before journal submission, build your own peer review board. Nursing for Women’s Health, 21(2), 137–141. doi:10.1016/j.nwh.2017.02.004 Hopkins, B. (2017). Barriers to health care providers’ provision of long-acting reversible contraception to adolescent and nulliparous young women. Nursing for Women’s Health, 21(2), 122–128. doi:10.1016/j.nwh.2017.02.007 Kessler, J. L. (2017). A literature review on women’s oral health across the lifespan. Nursing for Women’s Health, 21(2), 108–121. doi:10.1016/ j.nwh.2017.02.010

Volume 21

Issue 2

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I use this memory to illustrate how