The National Library of Medicine (NLM)-the world's largest biomedical library-offers both print and electronic resources on a wide range of health-related topics to health care providers, researchers, patients, and consumers. Founded in 1836 and headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, the NLM is under the aegis of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health.1 In 2016, Patricia Flatley Brennan, PhD, RN, was named NLM director, becoming the first woman and the first nurse to hold the position.2

Among the vast resources made available by the NLM, the following can help nurses increase their knowledge as well as educate patients, families, and the public.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Digital Collections

https://collections.nlm.nih.gov

A searchable repository of historical biomedical resources, including texts, films, and images. Users can search by subject, author, title, format, and genre, and can also discover and "pin" images on the NLM's Pinterest page (http://www.pinterest.com/NLMHistory).

PubMed

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed

Mobile site: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed

A database of more than 29 million citations of the biomedical literature from MEDLINE, journals, and online books. Access to articles varies by publisher.

PubMed for Handhelds

https://pubmedhh.nlm.nih.gov

A mobile website and app that provides search tools to bring medical information to the point of care. Available via iTunes (iOS) and Google Play (Android).

PubMed for Nurses

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/disted/nurses/cover.html

A set of five video tutorials teaches nurses how to search the literature, apply filters, ask clinical queries, save searches, and create alerts in PubMed.

DRUG RESOURCES

DailyMed

https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed

A database of up-to-date information on more than 108,000 drugs. Users can search by drug name, drug class, or national drug code to access data from U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug labeling. This mobile-optimized website also links to other resources, including:

[middle dot] MedWatch Voluntary Reporting Form

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch

Users can report observed or suspected adverse effects for prescription or over-the-counter medicines, biologics, medical devices, special nutritional products, cosmetics, and foods or beverages.

[middle dot] Recalls, Market Withdrawals, and Safety Alerts

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls

A database of information about recalls of FDA-regulated products.

[middle dot] LactMed

https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/newtoxnet/lactmed.htm

Users can search for information about drugs, herbal and dietary supplements, and chemicals to which breastfeeding mothers may be exposed, plus their possible adverse effects on nursing infants. Available via iTunes (iOS) and Google Play (Android).

Dietary Supplement Label Database

https://dsld.nlm.nih.gov

A database of label information for dietary supplement products, including vitamins, minerals, herbs, and botanicals.

Drug Information Portal

https://druginfo.nlm.nih.gov/drugportal

This portal provides access to drug information from the NLM and other federal agencies, as well as links to general drug resources and news.

Drug Information for the Public

https://druginfo.nlm.nih.gov/drugportal/jsp/drugportal/consumerDrugs.jsp

A site for consumers with information on safe -medication use, drug types, clinical trials, Medicare prescription plans, and buying medications online. Information is also available in Spanish.

HerbList App

https://nccih.nih.gov/Health/HerbListApp

An app containing research-based information on more than 50 herbal products marketed for health purposes. Available via iTunes (iOS) and Google Play (Android).

Pillbox

https://pillbox.nlm.nih.gov

A search engine that enables users to visually identify unknown pills by name, imprint, shape, color, and inactive ingredient. Drug labels and drug information are also provided.

Searching Drugs or Chemicals in PubMed

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/disted/drugs/intro.html

A tutorial on how to effectively search PubMed for information on drugs, chemicals, and other substances.

EVIDENCE-BASED CLINICAL RESOURCES

AIDSinfo

https://aidsinfo.nih.gov

A mobile-optimized site with information on the latest federally approved HIV-AIDS treatment guidelines, FDA-approved drugs (and investigational drugs), clinical trials, and research. In addition, three free apps-AIDSinfo Guidelines, AIDSinfo Drug Database, and AIDSinfo Glossary-are available via iTunes (iOS) and Google Play (Android).

AIDSource

https://aids.nlm.nih.gov

A comprehensive resource offering high-quality, accurate, and timely HIV-AIDS information in multiple languages.

ClinicalTrials.gov

https://clinicaltrials.gov

A database of privately and publicly funded clinical research studies conducted worldwide.

Genetics Home Reference

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov

A consumer-friendly site with data on more than 1,200 genetic conditions-including their signs, symptoms, and causes.

HealthReach

https://healthreach.nlm.nih.gov

A collection of culturally relevant information on health conditions and wellness topics in many languages and formats.

MedlinePlus

https://medlineplus.gov and https://medlineplus.gov/espanol

Free, up-to-date, reliable consumer health resources, including:

[middle dot] Health Topics

https://medlineplus.gov/healthtopics.html

Information on the symptoms, causes, treatment, and prevention of more than 1,000 diseases and conditions; includes health and wellness issues.

[middle dot] Drugs, Herbs, and Supplements

https://medlineplus.gov/druginformation.html

Information about prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies.

[middle dot] Videos and Tools

https://medlineplus.gov/videosandcooltools.html

Videos on a variety of health topics, plus tools to check your health and interactive health games.

[middle dot] Medical Tests

https://medlineplus.gov/labtests.html

A site explaining how laboratory tests are conducted and what results may mean.

[middle dot] Medical Encyclopedia

https://medlineplus.gov/encyclopedia.html

A repository of more than 4,000 articles on diseases, symptoms, injuries, and surgeries, as well as medical photographs and illustrations.

Multicultural Resources for Health Information

https://sis.nlm.nih.gov/outreach/multicultural.html

A site that provides a comprehensive list of resources for addressing the cultural and linguistic needs of diverse individuals and communities.

MORE FROM THE NLM

For other resources offered by the NLM, visit the NLM Learning Resources Database at https://learn.nlm.nih.gov . You can search by keyword, subject, and date to access helpful educational training videos, tutorials, and webinars. To connect with the NLM on social media and to subscribe to its e-mail news updates or RSS feeds, visit http://www.nlm.nih.gov/socialmedia .

REFERENCES