This month, I would like to give a special welcome to the new members of the Editorial Advisory Board (EAB). All new and continuing members have graciously accepted the responsibilities that accompany an appointment to the EAB. In June, I celebrated my fifth year as editor-in-chief of The Nurse Practitioner journal. It is hard to believe how quickly the time has passed but the experience has provided multiple opportunities for me to grow both personally and professionally. With each successive year, I realize more and more the importance of a strong, effective, and engaged EAB. The role of EAB members is invaluable to ensuring the journal's success and to positioning TNPJ as a leading source of practical, cutting-edge, clinical, and professional information for advanced practice nurses and other health professionals. Input from EAB members guides me and the editorial staff in selecting the content that is published. These valuable resources also help provide direction for the journal. EAB members, I thank you!!
What makes a journal?
Equally important are our peer reviewers. Peer reviewers are the topic experts whose thoughtful and constructive reviews promote a scholarly culture whereby authors receive useful feedback to further develop and improve their writing and editors receive useful information to facilitate decision making regarding manuscript acceptance. Peer reviewers support an editorial process from the initial submission of a manuscript to the final published article. Their reviews are objective and systematic rather than subjective and spontaneous.
Most important, without authors there would be no publication. Anyone who has something to share with others is qualified to be an author. At the annual National Conference for Nurse Practitioners in May, Dr. Ruth Kleinpell and I presented a session entitled, "Why Should I Publish?" During the presentation, we encouraged new or unpublished authors to take the risk and write first about a topic they know well. The familiar breeds comfort and confidence. Do not hesitate to ask a colleague and/or someone who has been published for help. Writing may never be easy, but it does become less threatening the more you actually write. Few nursing authors started with feature publications in the top referred journals.
Get involved!!
Being involved with a publication as an author, peer reviewer, or member of an EAB can be a very rewarding experience. At times you might wonder whether the effort is worth the yield. But advancing nursing knowledge, science, and practice is every nurse's responsibility. Because nurse practitioners are always on the radar, publishing provides a vehicle to inform the public, legislators, professional colleagues, and patients about advanced nursing practice.
Lastly, I want to mention a new bimonthly column, Education Matters (pg. 6), that debuts in the journal this month. We are excited that our readers will now receive pertinent information about NP education from the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF), the only professional organization devoted primarily to NP educational standards. The column will be an invaluable resource for educators in many different roles-administrator, faculty, clinician, and preceptor.
I end where I started by again welcoming the new EAB members. Let us know what you are thinking. The journal seeks to represent the best of the profession and we look forward to receiving your comments, ideas, and manuscripts.
Jamesetta Newland, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP, FNAP Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]