The establishment of trust in the registered nurse (RN)-patient relationship promotes patient engagement and improves the likelihood that the patient will be an active member of the patient care team. The purpose of this article is to examine nursing literature to identify the antecedents, attributes, and outcomes of trusting relationships between RNs and patients in home healthcare. Antecedents of trust for the RN-patient relationship included 1) meeting a need, 2) respect, 3) attention to time, 4) continuity of care, and 5) the initial visit. Attributes of trust between RN and patient in the home healthcare setting were identified as communication, connection, and reciprocity. For the RN and patient who established mutual trust, patients demonstrated better adaptation and collaboration for improvement of health, expressed a sense of security, and indicated a willingness to engage in additional trusting relationships. Barriers to a trusting relationship included a lack of respect and incompetent and/or unethical care.

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The nursing process is a tool to promote evidence-based practice as nurses identify and address problems for each individual patient. In this article, the author reviews the nursing process and applies it to a new surgical procedure used today in the area of women’s health for breast reconstruction. This procedure, the Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator technique, often referred to as the DIEP technique, is a breast reconstruction method for women who have had a mastectomy. After discussing the baseline assessment for a patient planning a DIEP procedure, the author leads the reader through the identification of applicable nursing diagnoses and relevant outcome identification, care planning, and implementation processes to meet desired outcomes. A comprehensive plan of care, based on the assessment, is developed in this article, with a focus on the outcomes of improved care, reduced pain, and faster recovery from this major surgery. Goals associated with the nursing care for patients having this procedure are evaluated. The author then discusses how using each of the steps of the nursing process facilitates the nursing care given to these patients. She concludes that the use of the nursing process promotes a quicker recovery with a reduced use of narcotic pain medications.

This study was a test of the feasibility of educating a convenience sample about normo-carbohydrate nutrition (NCN). From May 2015 and May 2016, 51 participants were enrolled in this intervention study about NCN. Participants were measured for chest, waist, abdomen, and hip circumferences, weight, and height at start and month 1, 2, and 3. After 1 month, there was a significant reduction in hip circumference, weight, and BMI with similar findings after 2 and 3 months. Significant reductions in chest, hips, and weight among participants after repeated measures provide hope for this promising nutritional strategy.

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