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Category: Databases

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MeSH Tree icon and banner saying New Headings for 2024

Each year the indexing team at the National Library of Medicine (NLM) updates descriptors and makes new headings available for searching in PubMed, MEDLINE, and other NLM databases. The 2024 changes were applied in December 2023. You can see new descriptors and changed descriptors on the NLM site.

There were changes to headings for Influenzavirus A (now Alphainfluenzavirus) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (three new entry terms for Chimpanzee Coryza Agent, Orthopneumovirus, and RSV Respiratory Syncytial Virus that will map to the heading when searching). Voting became a new MeSH heading. And there was a large expansion of terms available for concepts related to Psychological Stress - 54 to be precise! For example, you can now explode Coping Skills to cover nine concepts including Behavioral Coping and Cognitive Coping.

Other new terms include some coming out of the pandemic (immune system exhaustion, mental health teletherapy, pandemic preparedness, unvaccinated persons), some that are DEI-related (deaf culture, disability discrimination, social genomics, and undertreatment), and others that invite a visit to the scope note to see what they are all about (flighted spongy moth complex?)

Changes and new headings are not retrospective. For example, if searching for Influenzavirus A you will need to search the new Alphainfluenzavirus heading and the previous Influenzavirus A heading to get both new and older publications. To search for Voting prior to 2024 you may want to consider using the broader heading Politics which the concept was included under previously. 

For precision searching with MeSH headings, NLM encourages you to consult the MeSH Browser for scope notes and other information about a term. It can guide you to the right headings, subheadings (see the Qualifiers tab), and entry terms. Entry terms function like cross references so searching RSV will include the publications indexed for Respiratory Syncytial Virus since it’s an entry term for that heading. If you don’t want entry or mapped terms to be included, use double quotes to limit your search to just that precise heading.

NNLM will be offering a free webinar on MeSH Changes and PubMed Searching on January 25th from 1 to 2:30pm. You’ll hear more about the changes and have an opportunity to practice searching in PubMed. The class is available for beginner through advanced searchers.

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A person of color wearing blue scrubs and polka dotted surgical head covering secures a mask around their face.
Photo by SJ Objio on Unsplash

Himmelfarb Library is proud to support GW Nursing students, faculty, researchers, and staff by providing professional-level, scholarly full-text nursing resources. Today’s post will highlight some of our top nursing databases, journals, books, and guides.

Databases:

CINAHL Complete is one of our most highly used nursing resources! CINAHL Complete provides access to nursing journals and publications produced by the National League for Nursing and the American Nurses Association. In addition to full-text access to 600 titles, CINAHL Complete provides easy-to-understand Evidence-Based Care Sheets and Quick Lessons for a variety of conditions. Topics covered include nursing, biomedicine, alternative/complementary medicine, consumer health, and 17 allied health disciplines. 

ClinicalKey for Nursing is another top nursing database available through Himmelfarb. With access to full-text evidence-based nursing monographs, clinical trial modules, books, journals, practice guidelines, and core measures with nursing recommendations, ClinicalKey for Nursing is a great resource for all things nursing-related! 

TelemedInsights, developed by the GW School of Nursing and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, supports interactive self-paced learning to support high-quality, culturally competent patient care using telehealth technology. This great resource is designed for students and healthcare professionals. To access this resource, click the login button. No login or password is required. However, if accessing this resource from off-campus, you must use the GW VPN.

Journals:

Himmelfarb provides access to more than 200 nursing journals! Our most popular, highest-use titles are:

  • American Journal of Nursing (AJN): As the oldest and largest circulating nursing journal in the world, AJN promotes excellence in professional nursing with articles focused on cutting-edge, evidence-based information while providing a holistic outlook on health and nursing.
  • Journal of Nursing Administration (JONA): With content geared to nurse executives, directors of nursing, and nurse managers, JONA is an authoritative source of information on developments and advances in patient care leadership. This journal prides itself in delivering practical, solution-oriented articles that provide the information and tools to help you excel in a changing healthcare environment.
  • International Journal of Nursing Studies (IJNS): IJNS published original research on a wide range of nursing topics including healthcare delivery, organization, management, policy, and research methods.
  • Journal of Advanced Nursing (JAN): JAN publishes articles related to evidence-based nursing, midwifery, and healthcare. Topics include cancer nursing, community nursing, geriatric nursing, home care, mental health nursing, nursing research, and more!

E-Books:

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

Learn more about Himmelfarb’s nursing resources by visiting our Nursing Guide. You’ll find information about nursing textbooks, and NCLEX resources, as well as information for BSN, MSN, Nurse Practitioners, DPN, and Ph.D. nursing students. We also have a Nurse Practitioners Guide that includes information on physical examination, diagnosis, drug information, links to professional organizations, and evidence-based medicine. Himmelfarb’s Antiracism in Healthcare Guide is another fantastic resource providing resources to help you learn about antiracism and racial bias in healthcare.

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Dimensions logo.

Dimensions Analytics is a research-oriented database produced by Digital Science, designed to track research outputs, support analysis of research activity within GW and other institutions, and compare data between institutions. Dimensions is part citation database, part article discovery search engine, and part research analytics platform. Data included in Dimensions includes publications, grants, patents, clinical trials, datasets, policy documents, and Altmetric data points. Dimensions allows users to: analyze the impact of clinical trials, patents, and policies; search journals, preprints, datasets, proceedings, and books; as well as to follow grant funding to identify future trends.

You have two options for accessing Dimensions. The first option is the free version, which provides basic access. GW’s subscription version provides access to Dimensions Analytics - a more comprehensive functionality than the free version. Off-site access to GW’s Dimensions subscription requires that you log in to the VPN before you access Dimensions.

Screenshot of left side menu on Dimensions.

Once you are in Dimensions Analytics, you’ll notice that the resource is split into three distinct areas. From the menu bar on the left side of the page, shown in the screenshot on the left, you’ll be able to search for research output from groups, researchers, research organizations, and funders.

The main navigation menu located in the top center of the page allows you to view search results by category. Categories include publications, datasets, grants, patents, clinical trials, and policy documents.

Screenshot of center menu in Dimensions.

The menu options on the right side of the page, pictured below, provide an option to log in for access to Dimensions Analytics. This area is also where you will find analytical views that allow you to view publication trends and researcher network maps. 

Screenshot of right side menu in Dimensions.

To learn more about Dimensions Analytics, including how to build groups of researchers, view and download researcher network maps, and view analytics at a departmental and institutional level, watch the brief video introduction below:

Dimensions tracks research through the entire research lifecycle, which allows you to follow a specific piece of research from a funding source, to publication, and to the impact of that publication through citations and online mentions (Altmetrics). This incredible tool can help researchers create network visualizations, find a suitable journal for a manuscript, protect research integrity, and enhance grant applications to secure additional funding. 

Explore Dimensions Analytics today and see how it can help further your research!

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Decorative image of a black stethoscope, a blank sheet of white paper, and a black pen over a light blue background.
Photo by Tara Winstead

The newest class of Physician Assistant (PA) students has been hard at work since the end of May. Himmelfarb Library has enjoyed seeing so many PA students in the library this summer! We proudly support the SMHS PA program by providing resources and services to help PA students, faculty, and staff achieve their learning, teaching, clinical care, and research goals. 

Himmelfarb’s Physician Assistants Guide is a great starting point when looking for resources as it provides a comprehensive collection of PA-related resources curated on a single site! Physical examination and diagnosis are separated into individual tabs of the guide. When it’s time to start preparing for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE), the PANCE tab of the guide has study materials and resources to help you get ready to ace the exam! You’ll also find links to professional organizations and resources for writing and citation support.

Here are some of our favorite PA resources:

Research Databases:

  • PubMed: Find health sciences articles on clinical, basic sciences, and public health information in one easy location. Himmelfarb’s PubMed search filters allow you to easily filter results by systematic reviews, practice guidelines, randomized controlled trials, cohort and case controls, and background and review articles.
  • Scopus: This interdisciplinary database provides citations and abstracts to more than 25,000 journals, and includes full-text access to Himmelfarb-subscribed journals.
  • CINAHL Complete: With coverage of nursing, biomedicine, alternative and complementary medicine, consumer health, and allied health disciplines, CINAHL Complete is a great place to find full-text access to scholarly articles.
  • Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews: If you’re looking for a systematic review, this database is a must-search resource! Cochrane systematic reviews use Cochrane’s methodology and seek to identify, appraise and synthesize all of the empirical evidence that meets pre-specified eligibility criteria to answer a specific topic. 

Point-of-Care Resources:

  • DynaMed: This evidence-based resource includes drug and disease information. DynaMed is updated daily, so you can be sure you are getting the most current information. Disease information is presented in an easy-to-read bulleted format and includes epidemiology, etiology and pathogenesis, history and physical, diagnosis, management, complications and prognosis, prevention and screening, guidelines, and patient information.
  • Epocrates+: This evidence-based resource also provides disease and drug information. Disease information is presented in a step-by-step approach that covers prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.

Journals:

PANCE Prep Resources:

  • PA Exam Prep: Practice questions with answers will help you prepare for PANCE and PANRE. PA Exam Prep has customizable features that allow you to select topic coverage, choose the number of questions, and annotate exam questions and answers. 
  • Exam Master: This resource has question banks to support studying for PANCE and PANRE. Create a free personal account to access the content.

Books:

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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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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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DynaMed recently updated its navigation options that make finding the information you need more straightforward! The new interface still provides access to the latest information in DynaMed’s collection of clinically-focused, evidence-based, routinely updated articles, images, and updates. New functionality now makes searching within a topic even easier so you can find the information you need quickly. You can also quickly switch views from the homepage to see potentially practice-changing updates.

Screenshot of Recent Alerts area pointing out the Potentially Practice-Changing Only updates link.

From the homepage, you can search for information using the standard search bar, or click on the links at the top of the page to search for information on specialties, recent alerts, drug information, or calculators. The main section of the homepage includes updates on recent alerts and any content you have followed, such as specialty updates. 

DynaMed’s new features include a simplified in-topic navigation that allows you to jump straight through to relevant sections within a topic. From a topic page, the sections menu located on the left side of the page has been simplified to help you navigate to the sections you find most useful. 

Screenshot of new DynaMed updates.

Once you’ve selected a section, simply click the “In This Section” menu at the top of the page to navigate within the section and explore sub-sections as shown in the screenshot below:

Screenshot of the "In This Section" menu.

Within topic pages, you can also easily navigate between the topic information, videos, images, and updates by using the tabs at the top of the page. DynaMed is updated daily, so you can always be sure that you are looking at the most current information available on every topic. 

Interested in learning more? See these updates in action in this short video:

If you’d prefer to use the DynaMed app, instructions for downloading the app are available on Himmelfarb’s App Shelf.

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Are you interested in examining how health and other news is being reported to television audiences? Are you interested in gaining a historical perspective on health topics through broadcast news? The Vanderbilt Television News Archive is a unique resource to help you do this. 

Screenshot of NBC news report from 1997, Tom Brokaw on warning about diet drug fen-phen.
Streaming content is available from CNN and NBC.

The archive, housed at Vanderbilt University, has been recording and indexing national nightly news broadcasts from the United States since August 5, 1968. Initially the news broadcasts recorded included only the “big three” networks, ABC, CBS, and NBC. With the creation of CNN and Fox News, additional news content was added to the archive. Broadcasts are indexed and made keyword searchable.

While not all news networks provide their streaming content to the archive, Vanderbilt has been able to reach agreements with two networks, CNN and NBC, to provide streaming content within the archive’s web interface. Where streaming video is available, there will be a link to play the content. 

You can search the archive by browsing for news from a particular date, going as far back as August 1968. Browsing by date reveals summaries of all the segments within that day’s broadcasts from all available networks. The summary shows the topic of the segment, its length, and lists the reporters for that segment.

Screenshot of news broadcast segments from June 3, 2020.
Browsing the archive by a specific date is one option.

Another interesting feature of the broadcast summary is that it details which products (including medications) were advertised during commercial breaks. Where streaming content is available, you can view those advertisements.

You can also search by keyword to produce a list of broadcast segments with relevant content, limiting by date range if desired:

Screenshot of a keyword search of the news archive for HIV, limiting to dates between 1979 and 1990.
Keyword searching the archive is another option.

For networks from which only an abstract of a broadcast is available, the information provided is robust enough to establish the content of the report, its length, and the interviews included:

Screenshot of summary of June 12, 1988 ABC Evening News report on AIDS conference. Anthony Fauci is interviewed.
Even when streaming content is unavailable, each segment is described in detail.

The Vanderbilt Television News Archive is a fascinating way to watch the evolution of health topics and other issues and events over time. This unique resource lets you explore, for example, the way in which HIV/AIDS was discussed in the earliest newscasts on the subject; trace media coverage of the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, either via keyword search or browsing broadcasts by date; examine changes in the way medications were advertised on national television; and so much more.

Access to clips from the archive which are not available for streaming are generally assessed a loan fee, with full details available on the Request page. However, researchers located in the Washington, DC area can access full streaming content from the archive at the Library of Congress Moving Image Research Center. Appointments to use the facility are required, and can be made here.

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Resource Spotlight: Public Health Journals. Images of 4 public health journal logos.

GW’s Milken Institute School of Public Health is one of the most highly ranked public health graduate schools in the U.S. and provides education and research across biostatistics and bioinformatics, environmental and occupational health, epidemiology, exercise and nutrition science, global health, health policy and management, and prevention and community health. Today’s post highlights public health journals in Himmelfarb’s collection! Our journal collection includes more than 330 public health journal titles - here are some highlights of four of these great titles:

  1. Health Affairs: Health Affairs has been our most-used public health journal (based on usage statistics from 2015-2022) for years! First published in 1981, this journal explores both domestic and international health policy issues, to promote analysis and discussion on improving health and healthcare, and to address issues including cost, quality, and access to healthcare. Health Affairs addresses healthcare system change from a variety of perspectives through data, analysis, policy proposals, and commentary.
  2. American Journal of Public Health (AJPH): AJPH is our second-highest-used public health journal (based on usage statistics from 2015-2022). First published in 1911, AJPH is the official journal of the American Public Health Association and was voted one of the 100 Most Influential Journals in Biology and Medicine over the past 100 years. AJPH publishes the best scientific, public health research and aims to promote diverse public health practice models and increase understanding of public health problems and their solutions.
  3. Journal of Public Health: This journal publishes research on the theory and practice of the whole spectrum of public health including all domains of health improvement, health protection, service improvement, public health ethics, and public health law. In-depth looks into the causes of disease and how to prevent ill health and promote good health are the main focus of this title.
  4. Public Health Reports: The official journal of the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General and the U.S. Public Health Service, Public Health Reports publishes research, reviews, and commentaries related to public health practice and methodology, public health law, and teaching. Topics such as disease surveillance, infectious and chronic diseases, occupational disease and injury, immunization, and health disparities are key focuses of this journal. 

Himmelfarb’s public health resources aren’t just limited to journals. We have public health databases including Scopus, Health Policy Reference Center, and PolicyMap. We also have more than 30 public health-related research guides on subjects including clinical and translational sciences, environmental and occupational health, epidemiology and biostatistics, exercise and nutrition, global health, prevention and community health, health policy, and health statistics. Not sure which resource is best suited to your research needs? Our reference staff is available to provide assistance with searching the databases, finding full-text articles, and much more! 

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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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