University of Wisconsin–Madison

Category: Issue 30

Using Chickens to Explain Pain: How Metaphors Can Improve Care

Pain that lasts at least three months—or chronic pain—can affect daily life and well-being. Chronic pain is associated with decreased quality of life and increased anxiety and depression, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. It’s one of the top reasons adults seek medical care. Nearly one-quarter of U.S. adults reported chronic pain in …

Nurse Advocacy for Better Policies and Better Health

“Coming into this course, I didn’t fully understand how policy and nursing intertwined,” says Laura Vergenz, BSN, RN. Now, she sees “how engaging in advocacy, whether at the local, state, national, or international level, is part of our role as nurses. … Advocacy leverages the nursing perspective to support healthy systems and healthy communities.” Vergenz …