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You make a difference. Nurses Month. American Nurses Association. May 2023.
Photo from https://www.nursingworld.org/ana-enterprise/nurses-month/resources/toolkit/

May is National Nurses Month! Himmelfarb Library is proud to serve GW Nursing, which was recently ranked the 19th top Master of Science in Nursing Program in the country by U.S. News & World Report! To celebrate, this post will highlight some of the nursing resources available at Himmelfarb!

When it comes to nursing databases, CINAHL Complete is one of our most highly used nursing resources! CINAHL Complete includes nursing journals and publications from the National League for Nursing and the American Nurses Association. With full-text access to 600 titles, topic coverage includes nursing, biomedicine, alternative/complementary medicine, consumer health, and 17 allied health disciplines. 

ClinicalKey for Nursing is another top nursing database available at Himmelfarb. This full-text database includes evidence-based nursing monographs, clinical trial modules, books, journals, practice guidelines, as well as core measures with nursing recommendations. Drug information, patient education materials, multimedia resources, nursing scales, lab references, and measurement considerations are included in this key nursing resource.

TelemedInsights was developed by the GW School of Nursing and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. TelemedInsights provides telehealth modules that support interactive self-paced learning that supports high-quality, culturally competent patient care through telehealth technology. To access this resource, click the login button. No login or password is required. However, to access this resource from off-campus, you must use the GW VPN.

Himmelfarb has more than 200 nursing journals available! Our five most highly used titles are:

  1. International Journal of Nursing Studies (IJNS): With nearly 2,800 article views and downloads by GW users during 2021, this title is our most highly-used nursing journal! IJNS publishes original research related to a wide range of nursing topics including healthcare delivery, organization, management, policy, and research methods. 
  2. Journal of Professional Nursing: As the official journal of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, this journal publishes articles focusing on nursing education, educational research, educational policy, and education and practice partnerships. 
  3. Nursing Outlook: The official journal of the American Academy of Nursing and the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science, this bimonthly journal publishes articles that examine current issues and trends in nursing practice, education, and research.
  4. AORN Journal: This journal is focused on perioperative nursing standards of practice and the nurse’s role in patient care before, during, and after operative and other invasive and interventional procedures in ambulatory and inpatient settings. 
  5. Journal of Advanced Nursing (JAN): This journal publishes articles that further the advancement of evidence-based nursing, midwifery, and healthcare and covers a wide range of nursing-related topics including cancer nursing, community nursing, geriatric nursing, home care, mental health nursing, nursing research, and much more!

Rounding out our top ten most highly used nursing journals are the Journal of Nursing Administration, the American Journal of Nursing, the Journal of Clinical Nursing, the Journal of Nursing Management, and the Journal for Nurse Practitioners.

We also have some great e-books available! Some notable titles include: 

To learn more about Himmelfarb’s nursing resources, visit our Nursing 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 is another resource that includes information on physical examination, diagnosis, drug information, links to professional organizations, and evidence-based medicine. 

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Image of signs posted behind a chain link fence. Signs read: "Don't give up" "You are not alone" "You matter"
Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash

Himmelfarb Library recently expanded our collection of suicide and suicidology books with the help of a generous gift from Dr.Seymour Perlin, MD, and his wife Ruth Perlin. Dr. Perlin was a professor of psychiatry and the director of GW’s psychiatry residency program from 1977 to 1998. Two books included in this collection were written by Dr. Perlin and were donated by Dr. Perlin.

Image of the book cover of A Handbook for the Understanding of Suicide by Dr. Seymour Perlin.

A Handbook for the Understanding of Suicide, written and donated by Dr. Perlin, is available in the book stacks on the basement level (call number: HV6545 .H27 1994). This book reviews a wide range of information from a variety of disciplines on suicide. It offers historical, literary, philosophical, and social science points of view in addition to a psychiatric discussion of suicidal behavior. A Handbook for the Study of Suicide, also written and donated by Dr. Perlin, is available in the books stacks (HV6545 .H27 1979). 

A full list of the items purchased for this collection is available on our New Books collection page. Here’s a brief overview of the available titles:

  • Advancing Suicide Research (Kairi Kõlves, Merike Sisask, Peeter Värnik, Airi Värnik, and Diego DeLeo): Written by leading researchers in the field, this is a comprehensive toolbox of current best practices in suicide research, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research in suicide prevention from a public health perspective. Proper use of epidemiological measures and study designs, definitional issues, historical background, and ethical aspects of suicide research are also discussed. Location: Book stacks. Call number: HV6545 .A38 2021
  • Alternatives to Suicide: Beyond Risk and Toward a Life Worth Living (Andrew C. Page and Werner Stritzke): This book illustrates how fostering resilience and a desire for life can broaden and advance an understanding of suicide. Summarizing the existing literature, this book outlines a new focus on the interplay of risk and resilience that leads to a life-focus approach to suicide prevention. Emerging technologies and advances in data analytics using real-time monitoring of suicide dynamics and their use in suicide research and prevention are also covered. Location: Book stacks. Call Number: HV6545 .A48 2020.
  • The American Psychiatric Association Publishing Textbook of Suicide Risk Assessment and Management (written by Liza Gold, and Richard Frierson): This e-book offers new perspectives on suicide including medical and social use of destigmatizing and more precise language and covers issues related to suicide including suicide risk factors and their clinical implications, nonfatal, self-injurious behavior, physician-assisted suicide, and teaching suicide risk assessment and management as part of psychiatric residency programs. Increased suicide rates among specific populations are also examined.
  • Building a Life Worth Living: A Memoir (Marsha Lienhan): In this memoir, author Marsha Lienhan details her journey from a suicidal teenager to a world-renowned developer of life-saving behavioral therapy dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), using her own struggle to develop life skills for others. Location: Book stacks. Call Number: RJ506.S9 L56 2020.
  • Community Interventions to Prevent Veteran Suicide: The role of Social Determinants (Laura Yoder, rapporteur): This electronic conference proceeding summarizes the presentations and discussion of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine March 2022 symposium with the same title. Relevant social, cultural, and economic factors that influence suicide risk among veterans are discussed. Applications for applying current suicide prevention best practices and treatment at a community level are also explored.
  • Managing Suicidal Risk: A Collaborative Approach (David A. Jobes and Marsha Linehan, foreward): This e-book provides essential tools and guidance for assessing and treating a suicidal patient. Step-by-step instructions and forms for evaluating suicidal risk, developing a suicide-specific outpatient treatment plan, and tracking clinical progress and outcomes are provided.
  • The Oxford Handbook of Suicide and Self-Injury (Matthew Nock): This book is available in print and electronically. This comprehensive handbook provides a summary of the most important and exciting advances in suicide and self-injury and the ability to predict and prevent it. Print Copy Location: New Book Shelf (Himmelfarb 1st Floor). Call Number: HV6545 .O9394 2014.
  • Physician Suicide: Cases and Commentaries (Peter Yellowlees): Available in print and electronically, this book explores the culture of medical training and practice, burnout, anxiety, depression, and addiction can lead to suicide among physicians through fictional cases. Ways to mitigate these factors and improve physician health and well-being are explored and case studies are accompanied by literature reviews with resources for further reading. Print Copy Location: New Book Shelf. Call Number: R690 .Y45 2019.
  • Preventing Suicide: The Solution Focused Approach (John Henden): This e-book explores secondary suicide prevention, evidence-based solution-focused brief therapy, risk assessment, management, and medication. This new edition takes an empathetic and validating approach to work with individuals considering suicide.
  • Suicidal Behavior (Richard T. McKeon): This new edition explores the latest approaches to the assessment and treatment of suicidal behavior. Topics covered include epidemiological data, the role of opioid use problems, personality disorders, and trauma play in suicide. Location: Book Stacks. Call Number: RC569 .M41 2022
  • Suicide Assessment and Treatment Planning: A Strengths-Based Approach (John Sommers-Flanagan, Rita Sommers-Flanagan): This e-book provides a holistic, wellness-oriented approach to understanding suicide and working effectively with individuals who are suicidal. A culturally sensitive, seven-dimension model offers methods to collaboratively integrate solution-focused and strengths-based strategies into clinical interactions and treatment planning. Case studies, practitioner guidance, personal and professional self-care techniques, ethical issues, and counselor competencies are included.
  • Suicide Prevention: An Ethically and Scientifically Informed Approach (Samuel Knapp): Offering essential information about assessing, managing, and providing mental health treatment for suicidal adult outpatients, this book guides the reader through the process of treating suicidal patients, from screening to relapse prevention. Location: Book stacks. Call Number: HV6545 .K537 2020.
  • Why People Die by Suicide (Thomas Joiner Jr.): Following a suicide, the most troubling questions are often the most difficult to answer. How could we have known? What could we have done? Why? Written by a clinical psychologist whose own life has been touched by suicide, this book offers a clear account of why some people choose to die. Location: Book stacks. Call Number: HV6545 .J65 2007.

For additional resources on suicide prevention, visit the GW Resiliency and Well-Being Center’s Suicide Prevention website. 

If you are having thoughts of suicide, reach out to GW Student Health Center Suicide Prevention Hotline (202-994-5300, press option 2), submit a CARE Report, or call the 988 24/7 Crisis and Support Lifeline. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, every day.

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LibKey Nomad is a free browser plug-in that will alert you to the availability of full-text content from Himmelfarb Library and provide buttons to immediately download a PDF version or view the content on the publisher site. Previously Nomad only worked for scholarly articles. Now Nomad also works for e-books! 

Screenshot of a LibKey Nomad alert and link in a publisher site to an e-book in Himmelfarb Library's collections.
LibKey Nomad alert and link for a Himmelfarb Library e-book in a publisher website.

When Himmelfarb has the e-book, LibKey Nomad will alert you when viewing books on Amazon, Google Books and publisher websites including Wiley, Elsevier, Cambridge, Thieme, Wolters-Kluwer, Springer, SAGE, Taylor and Francis and many others. If you need a book for academic, patient care, research or personal needs, LibKey Nomad will pop up with a notification and a link if you already have access to it for free from the library.  

LibKey Nomad works in a variety of web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Vivaldi) and websites. If you’re searching Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science and even Wikipedia, LibKey Nomad integrates full-text access directly from where you find the content. LibKey Nomad will even tell you if an article has been retracted. 

To use LibKey Nomad, install it as a browser plug-in and choose ‘George Washington University - Himmelfarb Library’ as your home library when prompted. If you already have it installed, you will now be alerted to e-book content when searching.

Have questions about Nomad or other ways to find and view full-text content? Contact Himmelfarb’s Information desk at himmelfarb@gwu.edu or chat with us during business hours.

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Decorative image of Himmelfarb's top OB-GYN Titles.

January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. Himmelfarb Library is proud to support our Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN) students and faculty by providing a glance at our top OB-GYN e-books and e-journals.

OB-GYN E-Books

  • Hacker & Moore’s Essentials of Obstetrics & Gynecology: This book is a go-to choice for OB-GYN residents and medical students because of its concise focus, comprehensive coverage, and easy-to-use format. This edition features updated clinical cases and assessments, and text and images that reflect today’s best knowledge on the evaluation, diagnosis, and management of a wide range of OB-GYN disorders. Print copies are also available in Himmelfarb’s stacks for check-out, as well as in the first and third-floor reference collections, and course reserves collections that are available for in-library use (Call number: RG101 .E87 2016).
  • Williams Obstetrics: This landmark text has defined the discipline for generations of obstetrician-gynecologists and continues to be an essential text within the field! This book contains comprehensive coverage of anatomy and physiology, preterm labor, pregnancy-related infection, hemorrhage, and hypertension. Reviews of the newest advances and protocols, current professional and academic guidelines, evidence-based highlights, and 1,000 illustrations are included. Print copies are available in Himmelfarb’s stacks for checkout and for in-library use in the first-floor reference collection (Call number: RG525 .W634 2022).
  • Williams Gynecology: This combined medical reference and surgical procedural atlas includes comprehensive, evidence-based coverage of gynecologic healthcare and disease management. As an authoritative guide, this book provides treatment algorithms, differential diagnosis boxes, more than 450 full-color figures depicting operative techniques, and content on minimally invasive procedures, benign gynecology, urogynecology, gynecologic oncology, and reproductive endocrinology.
  • Netter’s Obstetrics & Gynecology: This edition offers excellent illustrated coverage of common OB-GYN conditions and problems. Classic Netter images are paired with concise, evidence-based descriptions of common diseases, conditions, diagnostics, treatments, and protocols. The combination of large, clear illustrations and short, concise text makes this a great everyday reference for clinical practice, as well as for staff and patient education.

OB-GYN E-Journals

  • Obstetrics & Gynecology: This journal is a valuable resource for any physician specializing in women’s health. Published monthly, issues include clinical research on current developments in obstetrics, gynecology, and women’s total health care.
  • Women’s Health Issues: Published bimonthly, this multidisciplinary journal publishes research and reviews related to women’s health care and policy. The official journal of the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health, this journal’s specific focus is on women’s issues in the context of the U.S. healthcare delivery system and policymaking processes.
  • Maternal and Child Health Journal: This journal publishes papers that address maternal and child health practice, policy, and research on topics including epidemiology, demography, health status assessment, innovative service initiatives, program implementation, policy analysis, advocacy, and professional development. 
  • Fertility and Sterility: This journal publishes articles in clinical and laboratory research relevant to reproductive endocrinology, urology, andrology, physiology, immunology genetics, contraception, and menopause. This is a great resource for anyone who treats or investigates problems of infertility and human reproductive disorders.

In addition to the great titles listed above, check out our Obstetrics and Gynecology Guide for more OB-GYN resources including textbooks, recent faculty publications, and useful databases and journals.

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Make 2023 a Great Year! GW Healthy Living Collection. Images of 6 book covers.

‘Tis the season of New Year’s resolutions! If your goals for 2023 include healthy living, Himmelfarb’s healthy living collection can help. Healthy living collection books can be checked out for 3 weeks with up to 2 renewals. You can find the collection on the first floor of Himmelfarb in the shelving area in front of the elevator. To help you on your healthy living journey, here are some books available in this collection:

  • Seeking Serenity: The 10 New Rules for Health and Happiness in the Age of Anxiety: by Amanda Enayati. This book examines life in the modern age of anxiety and outlines ten principles for living stress-free: belong, be happy, be resilient, be creative, be loving, be giving, be uncluttered, be healthy, be present, and be free. This book offers a big-picture view of stress beyond a medical standpoint and includes essential spiritual, philosophical, cultural, and personal perspectives. (Call number: BF 575.S75 E53 2015; 1st floor, healthy living collection). 
  • Mindful Crafts as Therapy: Engaging More than Hands: by Cynthia L. Evetts and Suzanne M. Peloquin. Arts and crafts were one of the first forms of therapies employed by occupational therapists. Crafts are still employed as effective interventions. This book explores a wide range of engaging crafts and explains how the key tasks associated with an activity are linked to functional outcomes. Modifications to meet the specific needs of individual patients are included. (Call number: RM735.3 .E94 2017; 1st floor, healthy living collection). 
  • Lagom: The Swedish Art of Balanced Living: by Linna Dunne. The Swedish concept of Lagom (pronounced “lah-gom”) roughly translates to “not too little, not too much, just right.” This book explores a new way of balanced living that promises happiness and sustainability in work and life. Learn simple solutions to help you juggle everyday priorities, reduce stress, eat well, and save money. Topics include the importance of downtime, being outdoors, and Sweden’s coffee break culture. Lagom presents an accessible and all-encompassing lifestyle that inspires mindfulness, well-being, and contentment. (Call number: BJ1495 .D86 2017; 1st floor, healthy living collection).
  • The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems: by Ronald D. Siegel. Mindfulness offers a path to well-being and tools for coping with life’s hurdles. This book explores effective strategies to use while driving to work, walking the dog, or washing the dishes, plus tips on creating a formal practice routine in as little as 20 minutes a day. Flexible, step-by-step action plans will help you become more focused and efficient in daily life; cope with difficult feelings, such as anger and sadness; feel more rested and less stressed; curb unhealthy habits; find relief from anxiety and depression; and resolve stress-related pain, insomnia, and other physical problems. (Available as an e-book, and in print: Call number: BF637 .M4 S54 2010; 1st floor, healthy living collection).
  • Live Longer, Live Better: Avoid the Risks: by William M. Manger and Edward J. Roccella. This book contains a lot of helpful information about how to improve and maintain good health and provides tips for minimizing disease and injury whenever possible. (Call number: RA776.75 .M362 2017; 1st floor, healthy living collection).
  • The Perks of a Positive Attitude: A Practical Guide to Happiness and Success: by Winsome Campbell-Green. This book explores the right to happiness and success and provides an approach to achieving happiness by developing our mind and applying it through personal development. Success can be achieved by changing our approach, being consistent, and keeping a positive outlook. (Call number: BF204.6 .C367 2012; 1st floor, healthy living collection).

If your 2023 goals include maintaining or creating healthy lifestyle habits, be sure to check out our newly updated Healthy Living @ Himmelfarb Guide for more health and wellness resources. And don’t forget about our exercise equipment and games available on the first floor near the printer!

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Image of open book and Christmas decorations
Image by Ylanite Koppens on Pexels

While we’re currently scrambling to study for finals, wrap up projects, and prepare for celebrations, soon there will be time to relax and kick back with a good book. Most of Himmelfarb’s collections are not your typical leisure reading, but you will find exceptions in a few of our special collections. The Humanities and Health collection, located in the nook on the first floor, has a variety of popular fiction and nonfiction books with a tie in to health topics or health providers. All of these books check out for a three week period with two possible renewals.

Browsing this collection you’ll find some bestselling fiction titles, including Homeland Elegies, Ian McKewan’s Saturday, and The Tiger’s Wife. Familiar nonfiction includes Dopesick, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and Guns, Germs and Steel. You’ll also find many books about the experience of being a healthcare provider. Below are some other recommended selections from the collection.

All Boys Aren’t Blue: a memoir manifesto by George Johnson, 2020: A collection of essays by an LGBTQIA activist, recounting what it was like to grow up as a Black queer young man. It addresses gender identity, bullying, toxic masculinity and consent and has been a frequent target of recent book banning efforts.

Consumptive Chic: a history of beauty, fashion and disease, by Carolyn A. Day, 2017: In the early 19th century it became trendy to have tuberculosis, or at least look like it. An emaciated body and flushed complexion was the height of fashion. The book examines how fashion practices of the time may have made women more susceptible to the disease and recounts the history of the tuberculosis epidemic in Europe which caused 25% of deaths at its peak.

In Shock: my journey from death to recovery and the redemptive power of hope by Rana Awdish, 2017: Awdish is a critical care physician who found the tables turned on her when a severe hemorrhage caused her to lose her baby and put her close to death. After multiple hospitalizations, Awdish recognized how current medical practice puts physicians at an emotional distance from their patients and makes recommendations for taking down the barriers.

The Jump Artist by Austin Ratner, 2009: Philippe Halsman became famous for his photos of celebrities leaping into the air and collaborations with Salvador Dali. This book focuses on his conviction and imprisonment for the murder of his father in 1920’s Austria where anti-Semitism was on the rise. Halsman was pardoned after leading Jewish intellectuals of the time lobbied for his release.  

My Own Country by Abraham Verghese, 1994: Best known for Cutting for Stone, this memoir is about Verghese’s experience as a young infectious disease specialist working in a small Appalachian town in Tennessee at the beginning of the AIDS crisis. Verghese relates the prejudice he encounters, as well as the care and compassion, in meeting the clinical and emotional needs of his patients. 

Patient H.M.: a story of memory, madness and family secrets by Luke Dittrich, 2016: The victim of a botched lobotomy, Patient H.M. lost the ability to form long term memory. He became the most studied neuroscience patient, teaching scientists much of what is known about memory today. The book was written by the grandson of H.M.’s surgeon, who confronts his family history and the ethics of early neurosurgical procedures. Winner of the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award.

Ship Fever and other stories by Andrea Barret, 1996: Winner of the National Book Award, the volume includes a novella and several short stories involving science and medicine set in past and present. Mendel and Linnaeus are subjects, as well as relationships between scientists in the field. 

The Strange Case of the Broad Street Pump by Sandra Hempell, 2007: In 1830’s London a doctor uses unconventional methods to trace the spread of a cholera epidemic and make the connection to drinking water. The book which reads like a mystery includes details of life in Victorian England and the emergence of public health practices.

Is there a title on your leisure reading list that isn’t in our collection? You can check to see if it’s available from another academic library in DC and request a consortium loan. To search consortium library collections, use the Articles + GW & Consortium Catalog scope in Health Information @ Himmelfarb as shown below.

Screenshot of library catalog search box with scope selections menu

If another library has it, sign in to use the Consortium Loan Service request form to request borrowing and delivery to Himmelfarb Library. This quick tutorial video shows you how to make a request.

You can also check our Take a Book, Leave a Book Shelf (our free little library) for popular non-health sciences related books.

We wish all of our patrons a safe and relaxing winter break!

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Celebrate National Nurse Practitioner Week. Supporting GW Nurse Practitioner Studies. Top E-Books at Himmelfarb.

November 13-19, 2022 is National Nurse Practitioner Week! Himmelfarb Library is proud to support our nurse practitioner (NP) students and faculty by providing a glance at our top NP e-books!

  • Aesthetic Procedures: Nurse Practitioner’s Guide to Cosmetic Dermatology: This textbook offers guidance to both experienced and novice aesthetic NPs. It reviews skin structure and anatomy, facial structure aging, the effects of aging and environmental exposures, pharmacology of aesthetic medications, benefits of treatments, and more. This is a one-stop resource for in-depth learning about cosmetic dermatology!
  • Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Certification Intensive Review: This is a must-have resource if you are studying for the adult-gerontology primary care NP certification exam (AGNP exam). This concise, well-organized text includes updated information, review questions at the end of each chapter, full-color images, and four practice tests with hundreds of practice questions and rationales (800 questions in total). Get test-ready with targeted “need-to-know” details about diseases and classic presentations you’ll see in patients across the lifespan.
  • Family Nurse Practitioner Certification Intensive Review: This text synthesizes the complex knowledge you’ll need to pass the ANCC and AANPCB certification exams. New test-format questions that include photos of skin and eye conditions and EKGs are included alongside drag-and-drop and multiple-choice questions. Non-clinical topics that are part of the exam are also covered including research, ethics, legal issues, advanced practice law, health practices of various cultures, and reimbursement guidelines. More than 700 practice questions are included to help you prepare!
  • Nurse Practitioner’s Business and Legal Guide: This book explains and analyzes legal issues for relevant nurse practitioners. This edition includes documentation requirements for avoiding malpractice, new case studies on risk management, current state laws, regulatory developments and prosecutions of NPs, and case analyses and lessons from these cases. Additional topics covered include medical bio-ethics terminology, malpractice cases, emerging health policy issues, opioid and controlled drugs prescribing guidelines, clinical performance measures, and much more!
  • Guidelines for Nurse Practitioners in Ambulatory Obstetric Settings: This clinical reference is a comprehensive source for current, evidence-based guidelines for NPs. This text covers clinical topics and practice standards relevant to preconception, prenatal, and postpartum nursing care. Each topic is broken down by definition, etiology, history, physical exam, lab exam, differential diagnosis, treatment, complications, consultation/referral, and follow-up. 
  • The Doctor of Nursing Practice Project: A Framework for Success: This book provides a road map for DNP students to complete their DNP project effectively and efficiently. This text outlines how the project has been used to prepare clinical scholars for practice. This edition includes a newly added chapter on health policy that highlights DNP core competencies used in advocating for healthcare policy change. 

In addition to these high-use titles, Himmelfarb also has a Nurse Practitioners Guide that links to core research databases such as CINAHL Complete, ClinicalKey for Nursing, PubMed, and Scopus to help you research and find full-text resources. This research guide can also help our NP students and faculty identify resources relevant to physical examination, diagnosis, drug information, professional organizations, and evidence-based practice. The textbooks tab provides links to all required textbooks and includes links to additional recommended textbooks. 

Accessing these e-books from anywhere is easy! Check out our Off-Campus Access Guide for tips and instructions on how to access these books from off-campus. And remember - our reference staff is always available to help answer your questions about research or access to our resources!

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#PAsGoBeyond Celebrate #PAWeek October 6-12

October 6-12 is PA Week, a chance to celebrate the Physician Associates/Assistants (PAs) profession and the countless contributions that PAs make to healthcare! As licensed clinicians, PAs practice medicine in every specialty and setting. In the mid-1960s, a shortage of primary care physicians inspired the creation of the PA profession as a way to improve and expand access to healthcare. Eugene A. Stead Jr. MD, often recognized as the founder of the PA profession, created the first PA curriculum, at Duke University Medical Center in 1965 (AAPA History, 2022).  Dr. Stead based the curriculum on the fast-tracking of doctors during WWII.  The first students were Navy Hospital Corpsmen with considerable medical training and graduated from the program in 1967 (AAPA History, 2022). 

GW launched its PA program in 1972 and created a joint PA/Master of Public Health (PA/MPH) degree in 1986 - the first joint degree for PA students in the United States (GW SMHS PA Program, 2022). GW’s PA program has consistently ranked in the top five PA programs in US News and World Report.

Today, there are roughly 159,000 PAs in the United States, providing more than 500 million patient interactions per year (AAPA Infographic, 2022). PAs have a wide range of roles and responsibilities including performing patient exams, diagnosing illnesses, assisting in surgery, ordering and interpreting lab tests, prescribing medications, developing and managing treatment plans, and advising patients on preventative care practices. 

Himmelfarb Library is proud to support the SMHS PA program by providing important resources and services to help our PAs achieve their learning, teaching, clinical care, and research goals! Our Physician Assistants Guide is a great starting point as it provides a comprehensive collection of PA-related resources all from a single site. Resources for physical examination, and diagnosis, as well as links to research databases and textbooks, are all conveniently located in a single guide. Are you preparing for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE)? Check out our study and review the resources available on the PANCE tab of the guide. You can find links to professional organizations and find resources for writing and citation support.

Image of Ballweg's Physician Assistant book cover.

Looking for a great textbook? Check out Ballweg’s Physician Assistant: A Guide to Clinical Practice, which was co-authored by GW faculty member Tamara S. Ritsema, Director of PA Professional Practice and Associate Professor of PA Studies. If you’re looking for PA-focused journal articles, be sure to check out JAAPA (Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants). JAAPA is dedicated to supporting the ongoing education and advancement of PAs by publishing research on clinical, health policy, and professional issues. Another great journal available through Himmelfarb’s collection is the Journal of Physician Assistant Education (JPAE). This journal publishes articles applicable to PA educators and provides a forum for sharing ideas and innovations to enhance PA student education.

Himmelfarb Library celebrates PA Week and is honored to serve GW’s PA students, faculty and staff. Thank you for “going beyond” - Happy PA Week!

References: 

AAPA: American Academy of Physician Associates. (2022). History of AAPA & the PA Profession. AAPA History. https://www.aapa.org/about/history/

AAPA: American Academy of Physician Associations. (July 2022). What is a PA? https://www.aapa.org/download/80021/

GW SMHS PA Program. (2022). Physician Assistant Program: About Us. https://physicianassistant.smhs.gwu.edu/about-us

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Whether you’re a practicing neurosurgeon, a neurosurgery resident, or a medical student considering neurosurgery as a specialty, Himmelfarb Library has full-text access to a wide range of neurosurgery resources! 

MedOne Neurosurgery

MedOne Neurosurgery provides full-text access to more than 300 e-books, including the Greenberg Handbook of Neurosurgery, which is a go-to manual for neurosurgeons. This comprehensive book includes a wide range of clinical practice guidelines in a single, one-stop resource. Full-text access to eight neurosurgery journals, including Skull Base, and the Journal of Neurological Surgery Reports is also available via MedOne Neurosurgery. Access to study tools including a review questions database, case presentations with questions and answers, detailed information on procedures, images, and over two thousand procedural videos are also available. MedOne Neurosurgery users can create a “playlist” of their favorite content for easy retrieval and can share these playlists with others. For questions about MedOne Neurosurgery, contact Ian Roberts at imroberts@gwu.edu.

Neurosurgery Journals

Himmelfarb has subscriptions to key neurosurgery journals including: 

  • World Neurosurgery (formally Surgical Neurology): This title is Himmelfarb’s most popular neurosurgery journal, seeing more than 2,700 uses in 2021. World Neurosurgery provides timely and comprehensive coverage of important clinical and research advances in neurosurgery. 
  • Journal of Neurosurgery: Published by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), the Journal of Neurosurgery is an authoritative source for scholarly articles featuring clinical and laboratory research, case reports, technical notes, reviews, and innovative surgical techniques and instruments.
  • Neurosurgical Review: This title saw the highest increase in usage by Himmelfarb users with a 130% increase in article views and downloads during 2021. This journal publishes comprehensive reviews on current issues in neurosurgery. Each issue focuses on a single topic (a disease or surgical approach) and contains up to five review articles per issue. 
  • Neurosurgery: As the official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Neurosurgery publishes the latest information on innovative surgical techniques and advances in instrumentation. 

For questions about Himmelfarb’s neurosurgery journals, contact Ruth Bueter at rbueter@gwu.edu. 

Neurosurgery Textbooks

Himmelfarb’s Neurological Surgery Guide provides links to our best neurosurgery textbooks and board review ebooks including: 

These are just some brief highlights of some of the neurosurgery resources available through Himmelfarb Library. Use our library search service, Health Information @ Himmelfarb, to find more resources, or contact our reference department (email them at himmelfarb@gwu.edu) for help locating neurosurgery articles or additional resources.

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Promotional image of The Medical Letter and Drugs of Choice 2022.

When you need to make the best treatment decisions for your patients, where do you turn to find information on drugs when you want to be sure the information hasn’t been influenced by the pharmaceutical industry? Himmelfarb Library provides access to two great options: The Medical Letter and Drugs of Choice!

The Medical Letter

The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics has a long history of being among the most used journal titles in Himmelfarb’s journal collection and is a trusted source for critical appraisals of new drugs and comparative reviews of drugs used to treat common diseases. Busy healthcare professionals don’t always have the time or resources to research manufacturers’ or pharmaceutical companies’ claims about a drug. The Medical Letter, a non-profit organization that is subscription funded, provides unbiased, reliable, and timely drug information that has been reviewed by medical experts who have come to an unbiased consensus. 

Whether you want to find out if a new prescription drug has advantages over older drugs, learn about the drug's effectiveness, and toxicity issues, or learn if the drug price is reasonable enough to justify prescribing it to patients, The Medial Letter has the information you need! Follow-up reports highlight any new information that may have changed the status of previously reviewed drugs, so you can be sure you are getting the most updated information. Himmelfarb’s subscription to The Medial Letter provides access to continuing education credits. You can also download the mobile app to access The Medical Letter from your mobile device.

https://youtu.be/v-IAZQNsqT4

Drugs of Choice

The Drugs of Choice 2022 Handbook provides updated information on preferred and alternative treatments for conditions such as alcohol use disorder, multiple sclerosis, onychomycosis, Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, heart failure, and more. There is even information on topics such as insect repellents and sunscreens. Drugs of Choice is a definitive guide for finding:

  • Recommendations for first-line and alternative drugs
  • Potential Adverse Effects
  • Dosing Recommendations
  • Risk of Drug Interactions
  • Use in Pregnancy

Information is presented in easy-to-read tables, making this resource handy for quick reference.

The Medical Letter and Drug of Choice are both key resources that provide quick, easy-to-use tools to get the information you need to stay updated with the latest drug information! For more information or if you have questions about Himmelfarb’s access to these resources, contact Ruth Bueter (rbueter@gwu.edu).

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