Himmelfarb Library is closed for Memorial Day. We will reopen tomorrow, May 27th, at 7:30 am. While the physical library is closed, our online resources, including databases, e-books, and journals, remain available.
Closed for Memorial Day
Author: Ruth Bueter
Happy National Nurses Month!
May is National Nurses Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the incredible contributions of nurses to healthcare and our communities! At Himmelfarb Library, we are proud to serve the GW School of Nursing, which continues to excel nationally, earning 3rd, 4th, and 6th place rankings for various online master’s programs in U.S. News & World Report.
As we honor the dedication and impact of nurses, we’re reminded of the timeless wisdom of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, who once said, “The very first requirement in a hospital is that it should do the sick no harm." Her words continue to guide the compassionate and ethical care that defines the nursing profession. Poet and author Maya Angelou also captured the profound influence nurses have, stating, “As a nurse, we have the opportunity to heal the heart, mind, soul, and body of our patients, their families, and ourselves. They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
In addition to their vital role in healthcare, nurses have a rich and fascinating history. Whether you’re a nursing student, a practicing nurse, or simply someone who appreciates the profession, these fun facts highlight just how dynamic and essential nursing truly is:
- Nursing has been the most trusted profession in the United States for the past 23 years.
- Nurses are the largest part of the healthcare workforce, with 4.7 million Registered Nurses (RNs) in the US.
- 11% of RNs are men.
- Nurses get their steps in by walking four to five miles during an average 12-hour shift.
- Nurses' caps, originally worn by Florence Nightingale, were derived from nuns’ habits.
- Nurses Week ended on May 12th, Florence Nightingale’s birthday.
Himmelfarb supports GW Nursing with a variety of resources. Our go-to nursing databases include CINAHL, ClinicalKey for Nursing, and PubMed. Himmelfarb has more than 200 nursing journals available! Our five most highly used titles are:
- International Journal of Nursing Studies
- Journal of Professional Nursing
- Nursing Outlook
- AORN Journal
- Journal of Advanced Nursing
We also have some great e-books available! Notable titles include:
- Contemporary Nursing: Issues, Trends, & Management
- Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice: Model and Guidelines
- Essentials for Nursing Practice
- Advanced Practice Nursing: Essential Knowledge for the Profession
- Nursing Leadership and Management for Patient Safety and Quality Care
To learn more about Himmelfarb’s nursing resources, visit our Nursing Research Guide. This guide provides information about nursing textbooks, NCLEX resources, and tips on searching the literature. This in-depth guide includes information for BSN, MSN, Nurse Practitioners, DNP, and Ph.D. nursing students! Our Nurse Practitioners Guide includes resources on physical examination, diagnosis, drug information, links to professional organizations, and evidence-based medicine.
Daniel Yett: Himmelfarb Library Director, 1973-1975
More than 50 years ago, the medical school library was located in three buildings at the corner of 13th and H Streets NW. As Ross Hall and the Himmelfarb Library were built, Daniel Yett, the Science Librarian at GW’s existing undergraduate library, was tasked with planning and managing the move to the new building.
At the time, the medical library’s collections were spread out over multiple locations due to space limitations. Newer materials were housed at 13th and H Streets in the existing and cramped library; some recent-ish journal runs were stored in the basement at 13th & H Streets, and other even older journal runs were held in off-site storage locations. The task before Mr. Yett required careful documentation and planning as he needed to intershelve holdings from three separate locations to create a single consolidated journal collection.
Dr. Shelley Bader, retired Associate Vice President, GW SMHS, remembers Mr. Yett for the contributions that he made to Himmelfarb Library’s early years, and for his development of a history of science lecture series at GW. Mr. Yett also provided crucial support for Dr. Bader early in her career. As preparations were underway for the move to the newly built Himmelfarb Library, Dr. Bader had been working in Circulation at the old medical library, providing reference services, and was completing the final three credits of her Master’s in Library Science. Mr. Yett supported Dr. Bader’s application for a newly available reference librarian position, which she assumed upon the move to the new building.
Following his time at GW, Daniel Yett became an officer with the United States Information Agency (USIA) and continued his career at postings around the world. To honor his memory, Dr. Bader has donated funds to support environmental health acquisitions.
Congratulations to Natalia Anzaldúa: GW 2025 Commencement Student Speaker
Himmelfarb Library congratulates Natalia Anzaldúa, Occupational Therapy Class of 2025! Natalia is part of the inaugural class for GW’s Occupational Therapy Doctoral program and was selected as the 2025 Student Speaker for GW’s Commencement!
What brought you to GW?
Having the opportunity to live in Washington, D.C., originally drew me to apply to GW. Once I received an interview for the Occupational Therapy (OT) Doctoral program, I felt very connected with everything the interviewer shared. Specifically, having conversations about what I disagree with healthcare systems and questions that made me reflect about what I believe and value for myself and my future clients. The questions and conversations during my interview really aligned with my values and aspirations.
GW seemed like a place where I could grow, not only intellectually, but also personally and professionally. I was particularly drawn to GW’s focus on creating change and advancing the OT profession through occupational justice and inclusive engagement. Additionally, I was very interested in forming a part of the first cohort of the OTD program. The collaboration they took with us as students really resonated with me and drew me toward coming to GW. I was exposed to conversations and self-reflections I had never had with anyone else before.
Are there any memorable research projects or special projects you participated in while at GW?
Currently, I am finishing my capstone project titled: "User-Centered Co-Creation of Informative Video on Early Intervention Rights for Spanish-speaking Families Receiving Early Intervention Services." In this research project, I relied heavily on resources from the Himmelfarb Library, where I was able to identify gaps in the research for empowering Spanish-speaking families to become advocates for their child. This led me to focus my capstone on creating a resource that supports families whose children are receiving early intervention services.
One memorable moment during this project was collaborating with Spanish-speaking families from D.C.’s early intervention program, Strong Start, for their input on how to create a resource that is most helpful to them. The goal is to create a resource that educates the families on their rights to empower them to advocate for their child and their family’s needs. Having conversations with the families reminded me why I am passionate about working with parents of children with disabilities. This experience reinforced the importance of community engagement and collaboration, which is a core value of the GW OT program and something I will continue to take past my time at GW.
What's been the most unexpected, surprising, or challenging experience as a GW student?
One of the most challenging experiences I faced was realizing that my English reading level was lower than I expected, which made it difficult to keep up with the advanced research papers I was required to read and analyze during my first year of graduate school. Additionally, learning medical jargon added another layer of complexity to this challenge. This initially made me feel isolated and contributed to feelings of imposter syndrome.
Thankfully, my professors guided me to use the Resiliency Center at GW, where I gained access to 1-1 meetings with members from the Resiliency Center that connected me to other resources from GW to work on specific outcomes to work on my current challenges at that moment. Looking back, this experience taught me that you should always ask for help when you need it, and many who have been in your shoes before are more than willing to talk to you and guide you on what worked for them. This has reinforced me to become someone who is approachable for anyone needing support or questions about anything related to OT or graduate school.
As you reflect on your time at GW, can you share a favorite Himmelfarb memory or an experience you found most useful?
My friends from my program and I would spend long hours at Himmelfarb Library, and we loved that it was open 24/7. We definitely took advantage of this—so much so that we would be at the library so long we would even take naps there before waking up to continue studying!
Being at Himmelfarb always inspired productivity because everyone around us was so focused and motivated. It created an environment where I felt encouraged to push myself to work through my schoolwork. It was a nice place full of predictability and availability that provided stability for me in my study routines.
When you are not studying, what are your hobbies, interests, or special things you like to do?
I really enjoy going to yoga and meditation, especially after learning how much exercise and mindfulness can benefit both mental and physical health. These practices have helped me manage stress during graduate school and maintain balance in my life. Additionally, I love spending time with friends and exploring coffee shops for ceremonial-grade matcha, which is my favorite!
When I have more free time during school breaks, I also enjoy sewing and embroidering clothes for myself, my mom, and my sister. I enjoy activities in which I can be creative and create things with my hands. This was actually my “pandemic hobby” that I took up. I bought a sewing machine and learned how to sew thanks to YouTube tutorials and a lot of trial and error.
What are your plans after GW?
After graduation, I plan to continue working with children, especially those with cognitive disabilities, and their families. My goal is to break down barriers for Spanish-speaking families by providing culturally sensitive care and resources that empower them as advocates for their children.
My ultimate goal is to always work with children and create for them an environment where they can feel empowered and encouraged to embrace their individuality while developing the skills they need to grow and thrive! Allowing the children to grow, learn, and be curious at their own pace through a safe environment built by wonderful individuals open to challenging themselves to do the same.
Clerkship Resources
It’s that special time of year when third-year medical students are starting clerkships. Himmelfarb Library provides some great resources to help you succeed during your clerkships!
Our MS3 Clerkship Guide is a great starting point! You’ll find resources to help you during each of the six third-year clerkships: medicine, OB/GYN, pediatrics, primary care, psychiatry, and surgery. Each clerkship tab includes:
- Core Titles: The best textbooks for education and study.
- Shelf Prep: Books and question banks to help you prepare for the shelf exam.
- Core Databases: The best databases for this specialty.
- Apps: Apps for your phone or tablet so you can access information 24/7.
- Clerkship Contacts: Names and contact information for clerkship directors and clerkship coordinators.
Our MS4 Clerkships Guide includes much of the same information specific to anesthesiology, neuroscience, emergency medicine, and pediatric emergency medicine clerkships. You’ll also find information about the Electronic Health Record systems used at your clerkship sites in both guides.
In addition to all of the great resources on the MS3 and MS4 Clerkship Guides, the following resources can help you find specific types of information during your clerkships:
Differential Diagnosis
The following resources can help you create your differential diagnosis using reputable sources:
- DynaMed: When looking at a condition in DynaMed, there is a Differential Diagnosis area in the Diagnosis section on the left side of the menu.
- epocrates+: Like DynaMed, there’s a Differential Diagnosis area on the left side menu.
Evidence-Based Guidelines
These resources can help you find current practice guidelines to drive your assessment and plan:
- DynaMed: When looking at a condition in DynaMed, there is a Guidelines and Resources area towards the bottom of the left-side menu.
- epocrates+: Similar to DynaMed, there is a Guidelines area (under References) towards the bottom of the left-side menu.
- PubMed: If you use Himmelfarb’s link to PubMed, you can use our filters on the left side of the search results page to limit your results by Practice Guidelines.
- ClinicalKey: Click on the “Guidelines” area to search for clinical guidelines from leading organizations.
Drug Information
The following resources can help you choose the right medication, dosage, find drug interactions, contraindications, and drug coverage:
- Lexidrug: Clinical drug information with access to multiple drug databases, Trissel’s IV Compatibility, drug interaction checker, drug ID, patient education information, calculators, and additional clinical tools. Lexidrug includes access to adult, pediatric, and neonatal drug information, pharmacogenomics, lab tests, diagnostic procedures, toxicology, drug allergy, and idiosyncratic reactions.
- ClinicalKey: Search the Drug Monographs section for drug and dosing information to guide treatment.
- DynaMed Drugs A-Z: Click on Drugs A-Z or the Drug Interactions link in the top menu.
- epocrates+: Click on the Briefcase+ icon on the left side of the screen to find tools, including drugs, interaction checks, pill ID, etc.
Best of luck in your clerkships!
Spring Semester 2025 Wrap Up
Summer is almost here! Which means that Spring is drawing to a close. As the semester winds down, here are some tips to help make it less stressful.
Studying at Himmelfarb
Himmelfarb Library is a great place to study and get ready for exams! We recognize that each person’s study needs are different. Some people need complete silence to focus, while others prefer being able to chat with friends and bounce ideas off each other. Himmelfarb has a space for all noise level preferences!
If you are looking for a quiet place to study, the second floor is a silent floor reserved for graduate and advanced degree students. Himmelfarb’s third floor (except for the Bloedorn Technology Center) is reserved for quiet study. If you don’t mind noise while you study or want to study with other people, the first floor is not quiet and can be a good fit for you.
Study rooms are also an option. Study rooms should be reserved, so make your reservations ahead of time. Most study rooms can accommodate up to four people and have large computer screens and dry-erase boards. Dry-erase board markers and erasers are available for checkout at the first-floor Circulation Desk. Study rooms are not noise-proof, so please keep conversations quiet. Study rooms are located on the quiet floors, so please be respectful of others while using these spaces.
Study Supplies & Technology
Himmelfarb has a variety of study supplies and technology that can be checked out at the first-floor Circulation Desk, including:
- Dry-Erase Markers
- Remote Controls (for the study room monitors)
- HDMI, VGA, VGA to HDMI Adaptors
- MacBook, iPhone, and Android Chargers
- Headphones
- Earplugs are also available
Returning or Renewing Library Materials
Before leaving campus for the summer, check your library account to ensure you don’t need to return library materials. You can return items to the Circulation Desk. If you have materials borrowed through Interlibrary Loan, check your Docs2Go account for due dates, and return items on time so we can ship them back to their home library. If you’d like to renew an item, you can do this in your library account, stop by, or call the Circulation Desk (202)994-2962.
Faculty End-of-Semester Tips
Embedded Librarian Service
If you are planning for the Summer or Fall semesters and want a Himmelfarb Librarian embedded in your Blackboard course, email us at himmelfarb@gwu.edu to make arrangements!
Course Materials
Are you planning to add new books, articles, or other materials to your upcoming courses? Let us know what materials you’re thinking of using. We are happy to look into print or online access options! Contact Ian Roberts (imroberts@gwu.edu) for assistance. And don’t forget to submit your Course Reserves Requests for the Summer semester.
Library Outreach
If you’d like to schedule a brief orientation to Himmelfarb Library for new residents or students, contact himmelfarb@gwu.edu. We are happy to meet with your group and provide an overview of all Himmelfarb has to offer and answer any questions.
Happy National Occupational Therapy Month!
April is Occupational Therapy Month! According to the Cleveland Clinic, occupational therapy (OT) is a treatment that helps patients improve their ability to perform daily tasks and activities to be as self-sufficient as possible. Many patients receive OT after injuries or trauma that impact their ability to perform everyday tasks such as getting dressed, cooking meals, taking medications, and shopping for groceries.
We’re especially excited to highlight occupational therapy this year as we approach the graduation of GW’s inaugural class from the Occupational Therapy doctoral program! To celebrate Occupational Therapy Month, today’s post will highlight some occupational therapy resources available at Himmelfarb Library.
- Occupational Therapy Research Guide: Find links to useful OT databases, journals, textbooks, professional resources, and more on our OT guide!
- American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT): AJOT focuses on research, practice, and health care issues in the field of OT.
- Disability and Rehabilitation: This journal publishes articles on rehabilitation in practice, rehabilitation policy, assessment procedures, and education and training.
- Occupational Therapy International: This open access journal publishes research and review articles that provide evidence-based recommendations for OT practice.
- Quintessential Occupational Therapy: A Guide to Areas of Practice: This book focuses on what to expect in a variety of OT practice settings and includes typical daily schedules, caseload expectations, sample documentation, case studies, and more.
- Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction: This book provides comprehensive and detailed instruction in best practices for OT assessment and intervention.
- Skills for Practice in Occupational Therapy: This book is a great resource for OT students and new practitioners. It covers a wide range of topics, including decision-making, evidence-based practice, research skills, and leadership and management.
Databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus can be helpful in finding research articles about OT. If you have questions about Himmelfarb’s OT resources or recommendations of titles to add to our collection, reach out to us at himmelfarb@gwu.edu.
Happy Occupational Therapy Month from Himmelfarb Library!
Celebrating Success: Congratulations to Alejandro Velasquez on Match Day!
Alejandro Velasquez, a GW medical student, has been a student worker at Himmelfarb since 2017. He recently celebrated Match Day. Himmelfarb Library congratulates Alejandro on his accomplishments! We interviewed him to learn more about his time in medical school and at GW.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where did you grow up? What brought you to GW?
I was born in Caracas, Venezuela, but my family and I moved to Memphis, TN when I was young so that my brother could get life-saving cancer treatment at St. Jude’s Children's research hospital! He was cured, and my family decided to stay and give back to the Memphis community by opening up medical clinics dedicated to the marginalized population of Memphis. I moved to DC to study at GW for undergrad and get a degree in Biology! I chose GW because of the wonderful opportunities offered and the diverse and exciting environment.
Congratulations on your residency match! You matched in Internal Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center! Tell us more about your Match Day experience.
Like others can account, I'm sure it was an exciting but nerve-racking experience. You are given an envelope that will change your life forever, and it can either be the news you expected or not. Thankfully, I was surrounded by my loved ones who were there to support me no matter what! When I opened the envelope, I was too excited/nervous/shocked to express any emotion or even spell correctly. But I found that I got my first choice in Boston and could not be more excited about this next chapter.
How did you decide that Internal Medicine was the path you wanted to pursue?
Internal medicine motivated me to be the best version of myself! I kept an open mind to all specialties, and I paid attention to what made me the happiest. Especially a rotation that made me excited to go to work the next day. I had a blast with the wonderful attendings, residents, staff, and patients, and I recognized it as a logical next step. I also enjoyed its subspecialties, especially cardiology, and I look to complete a fellowship in the field.
You started working at Himmelfarb as an undergrad at GW. How long have you worked at Himmelfarb Library? What attracted you to apply to work at Himmelfarb in the first place?
I started working at Himmelfarb in 2017 after a friend (Nir Liebenthal) who worked there referred me to Kathy. I needed financial support, and Himmelfarb gave me the opportunity of a work-study program, which was such a blessing. Between shorting, shelving, and checking out books, I had the opportunity to spend countless hours in the library studying, and this job allowed me the chance to support myself financially and meet so many new friends and colleagues. As soon as I started working in Himmelfarb, my GPA dramatically increased, and I started acing my classes. I believe it was not only the dedicated time I had to study, but I was also motivated by the academic environment around me. I worked this job until I graduated in 2019 and took two gap years between medical school. When I returned to campus, I immediately knew I had to get my old job back! I started again in 2021, and I will complete my time in 2025.
As you reflect on your time as a student worker at Himmelfarb, do you have any favorite Himmelfarb memories?
There are so many wonderful memories I have of Himmelfarb. From meeting hundreds of students and making dozens of friendships to creating friendships with the staff and librarians who accepted me with open arms! Countless conversations with people I have met here have molded me into the academic and human I am today.
Have you participated in any interesting or exciting research or special projects at GW?
Most definitely! I have participated in research projects in the fields of cardiology, trauma, colorectal, pediatric, urologic, oncologic, and ENT surgery. I also wrote a thesis for my Honors degree in Biology during undergrad. Many projects I did could not have been done without the help from librarians such as Tom, who assisted me with a systematic review. In addition, the resources available to me were incredibly helpful.
What’s been the most unexpected, surprising, or challenging experience as a medical student?
Medical school is difficult as it requires time, passion, and drive, but it has been worthwhile for me and my career. I knew medicine was going to be difficult going into school, but what I did not expect was how much fun I was going to have. I enjoyed every stage from MS1-MS4 and will think back to the amazing memories I made. A big challenge for me was adapting to the time requirement that it has and the need to balance profession with family. I am very close with my family, and it's difficult for me to not be able to see them as often as I would like. However, at the end of the day, I wouldn't change a thing, and I am grateful for my time and opportunities. While in medical school, I made hundreds of friends, traveled to 10 different countries, and participated in tons of extracurricular activities, which molded me into the future doctor I am today.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I love walking the city with my dog Kaiser! I also love going to Yoga and exercising as much as I can. At home, I’m either cooking, playing video games, or reading. If I'm not home, I am traveling!
What advice would you give first-year medical students just starting in their medical school journeys?
I tell everyone I meet that no matter how hard or challenging the courses are, try to soak in and enjoy it as much as you can! I was grounded and motivated by the fact that I was learning how to cure my future patients, but I also had a blast learning and reading as a student. I think when I found that I enjoyed what I learned, I understood it better and needed to study less! I also can't stress enough the importance of being efficient! Harder does not mean smarter. Find what works for you in the shortest amount of time and stick with it! Lastly, have fun! I think back to my time, and I had an absolute blast while in med school.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Thank you, GW and Himmelfarb staff, for these wonderful years! I will never forget my time here and am eternally grateful!
Dyna AI Trial Now Available!
Himmelfarb Library is offering a limited-time trial of Dyna AI, available through April 22, 2025! Test this resource for yourself and send us your feedback! Please send any questions, comments, or feedback about this resource to Ian Roberts (imroberts@gwu.edu).
Want to give Dyna AI a try? Follow these steps to access the free trial:
- Access DynaMed (also linked from Himmelfarb's homepage)
- If you haven't already created a personal account, you'll see a screen that offers you the opportunity to personalize DynaMed. Click the blue button to personalize and complete the brief form with your name, speciality, physician role, etc.
- Once you've created your personalized DynaMed account, you'll have access to the Dyna AI trial and can simply ask a question in the search bar.
What is DynaAI? Dyna AI combines trusted, expert-curated, evidence-based content with advanced AI technology to generate clinical responses to questions. It integrates DynaMed content with a large language model (LLM) using a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) approach. Dyna AI summarizes evidence-based content from peer-reviewed journals and high-quality clinical practice guidelines included in DynaMed. It does not pull from sources outside of DynaMed or unvetted sources.
To use Dyna AI, enter a query in the search bar. Dyna AI is automatically enabled for Himmelfarb users during our trial (through April 22, 2025). Dyna AI can be disabled in the "Dyna AI Settings" at the top right of the page by selecting "Do not show Dyna AI" to disable AI-generated responses.
For best results when using Dyna AI:
- Ask Detailed Questions: Dyna AI provides more relevant responses to more specific questions. For example, instead of using "atrial fibrillation treatment" as your search query, ask "rate vs rhythm control atrial fibrillation HFrEF."
- Use Follow-Up Questions: After an initial question such as "What is the approach to evaluating a complicated urinary tract infection in female adults?" you might add "expected urine culture findings" or "first-line antibiotic options."
- Revise Questions: Small changes to questions can lead to different responses.
- Avoid Entering Protected Health Information
We want to hear what you think of Dyna AI! Give it a test drive through April 22, 2025, and send your feedback to Ian Roberts (imroberts@gwu.edu).
International Transgender Day of Visibility
Today is International Transgender Day of Visibility! To honor International Transgender Day of Visibility, consider reading more about trans issues within healthcare. Here are some great options from Himmelfarb’s collection:
- A History of Transgender Medicine in the United States: From Margins to Mainstream: New book! This book examines the development of transgender medicine across three centuries while centering the voices of transgender individuals, debunking myths about gender-affirming care, and examining the complexities of this evolving field. This book can be found on Himmelfarb’s New Book display on the first floor near the circulation desk and in the stacks on the basement level. Call Number: RA564.9 .T73 H578 2025
- Care Without Pathology: How Trans-Health Activists are Changing Medicine: This book examines how trans-health activists have taken on the project of depathologization with far-reaching effects on the economic and racial barriers to accessing care. Click the link above to read an e-book version of this title.
- Trans Health: International Perspectives on Care for Trans Communities: This anthology, with most contributions written from lived trans and gender diverse perspectives, provides insights into the experiences of the trans and gender diverse community when seeking healthcare and how self-organized community structures can help to overcome barriers to often inaccessible public healthcare systems. Click the link above to read an e-book version of this title.
- Trans Medicine: The Emergence and Practice of Treating Gender: This examination of the history of trans medicine and current-day practice offers an opportunity to understand how providers make decisions while facing challenges to their expertise and, in the process, have acquired authority not only over clinical outcomes but over gender itself. Click the link above to read the e-book version of this title, or request a print copy through the Consortium Loan Service.
For more recommendations, check out the A Transgender History Month Reading List post from August 2024.
