More than any other single document, the growth and development of wound, ostomy and continence (WOC) specialty practice nursing and the WOCN Society is reflected in the Society's official publication, the Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing (JWOCN).1 As the evidence base that supports the practice of nursing has evolved into a rich literature of peer-reviewed journals, textbooks, and now an explosion of online resources, the JWOCN has established itself as part of the written record of nursing science.
The roots of the Journal can be traced to 1974 and the ET Journal, established by Norma Gill-Thompson and her colleagues to meet the need for a journal reporting the collected experience of enterostomal therapy.2 The first issue was published in the summer of 1974 under Editor Kathleen Burns. The ET Journal began as a quarterly newsletter first published in 1972 for members of the North American Association of Enterostomal Therapy, but it evolved into a mixture of clinical and professional practice articles serving as the official publication of the International Association of Enterostomal Therapy (IAET). Kathleen Burns' first editorial outlined the mission of this new publication. She stated that the Journal should provide a resource for education, a forum for the evolving role of the enterostomal therapist, a medium for the announcement of professional association activities, and a publication defining enterostomal therapy to related health care professionals. She characterized the ET Journal as a "source of current information on the total care and rehabilitation of persons with fecal or urinary ostomies or other situations of uncontrolled drainage."2(p1) This visionary statement is remarkably consistent with the Journal's current mission as the definitive resources for WOC nursing practice, including the care of patients with ostomies, chronic wounds, urinary and fecal incontinence, and foot care.
The first issues of the ET Journal mainly reproduced articles from other professional publications, but these reprints were soon replaced by original articles from enterostomal therapists and ET nurses. This change represented an important transition as ETs began to generate the knowledge base that comprises WOC nursing. The clinical practices advocated by these early authors were based largely on clinical experience, case studies, and intuitive observation. While the sophistication of publication in the current Journal is based on current best evidence, their experiences and insights remain a rich part of our current body of knowledge, and many of their insights have been supported by objective research.
In 1982, the Journal officially made the transition from a newsletter to a professional publication. The newly renamed Journal of Enterostomal Therapy contracted with its first professional publishing company, C.V. Mosby. During this important period of growth, the Journal was edited by Frances J. Anderson-Ciambor followed by Victor Alterescu, Patricia Kynes, and Joan Halperin-Landry. Each of these Editors brought her or his own unique perspective and skills to the Journal, but all shared a dedication to the production of a high-quality journal. All of the Journal's captains have acted as developmental editors, assisting novice authors to publish what was often their first peer-reviewed article or first original research report. This tradition continues with the Journal today, which publishes cutting-edge, original research reports as well as systematic and comprehensive review articles summarizing best evidence for WOC nursing practice.
Like its official journal, the IAET grew and gained in sophistication during this period. In his final Editorial in 1984, Victor Alterescu reflected on the evolution of the field of enterostomal therapy and its professional association.3 His editorial captured not only the "state of the association" but it also demonstrated the group's growing identity as creators of change rather than simply reacting to changes imposed by others. This growth in the vision of the association and its journal also can be seen in a 1985 editorial by Patricia Kynes,4 who presented a solid plan for ET nurses to respond to the latest trend in health care financing (the diagnosis related group) using resources written and distributed by the IAET.
In 1991, the Journal of Enterostomal Therapy was renamed Journal of ET Nursing, reflecting the growing recognition of enterostomal therapy as specialty nursing practice. In the first issue of the Journal of ET Nursing, Editor Dot Smith reflected on the profound changes that had occurred in both ET nursing practice and its official journal.5 She noted several controversial issues, including the development of an accreditation process for ET Nurse Education Programs, the introduction of a certification process for ET nurses, monitoring of national leadership's relationships with industry, the addition of skin and incontinence care to the professional practice scope of the ET nurse, and the possibility of a name change for the organization. As an ET nurse with a distinguished history as a member of the IAET, Dot also reflected on the "personal memories" as well as "battle scars" from each of these "painful dilemmas."5(p79) Dot went on to state that the change in the Journal's name reflected the evolution of this specialty practice in nursing. She observed that the Journal was a symbol of ET nursing. She defined the Journal as representing the scope and depth of ET nursing practice, both to its practitioners and to the physicians, health care administrators, allied health care professionals, and basic and applied scientists who worked in collaboration with its constituents. She accurately predicted that the change in the Journal was only one of many changes ET nurses would face in the coming years. However, she also observed that these changes were not to be feared or despised. Instead, Dot noted that "if we stop growing, stop learning, stop taking risks, we will fold."5(p79)
In 1992, the Journal of ET Nursing published a guest editorial by Dr Margaret Heitkemper, Professor of Physiologic Nursing at the University of Washington in Seattle.6 In this historic document, Heitkemper identified research as one of 3 priority areas for the IAET and observed that ET nurses who were not directly involved in ETNEPs were less likely to be involved in clinical investigations, either as a primary investigator or as a data collector. She noted that over the past 5 years (1986-1991), the IAET had increased its efforts to support research activities, by finding specific studies, through presentations at the national conference and through the inclusion of research production and utilization in ETNEPs.
Heitkemper's guest editorial reflects a significant step in the evolution of wound, ostomy and continence nursing and the Journal. The addition of original research reports to the Journal's contents is an essential component of the growth of our specialty practice. Although the Journal still comprised primarily integrative review articles, case studies, or articles summarizing clinical experience, the crucial element of original research had grown from an idea to a regular feature within the Journal.
In 1993, the IAET became the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society. Volume 20, issue 3 of the Journal celebrated the pioneers of ET nursing and provided a "Hall of Fame" of historically relevant figures, including past presidents of the organizations and past editors of the Journal.7 Dot Smith also informed readers that the Journal would be unveiling a new title and design, which would be announced at the organization's 25th National Conference held in San Antonio, Texas, and in 1994 our current title, the Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing, became official. This change in title was accompanied by a change in editors, and Mikel Gray began his tenure as the editor of this remarkable Journal.
The JWOCN continues to reflect the rapid growth in the field of WOC nursing. It is the official publication for peer-reviewed articles for the WOCN Society and the premiere publication for a global community of authors and clinicians who provide care for wounds, ostomies, continence, and foot and nail problems. The Journal remains the primary source for the cutting-edge knowledge and evidence that defines our practice in the early 21st century. The Journal is an ongoing record of the history, current trends, and future growth of our practice. It is the living record of the laws, hypotheses, theories, and innovations that underpin our clinical practice, and the opinions and insights that describe our history and predict our future.
In 2000, Katherine Moore, PhD, RN, CCCN, became the Journal's Editor-in-Chief. Dr Moore's appointment set a precedent as the first editor of the Journal living outside the United States. Dr Moore also served as Professor and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies with the Nursing Faculty with the University of Alberta. Dr Moore's tenure at the Journal was marked by multiple accomplishments such as leading the editorial board through its move to Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Publishers. This move was significant for the Journal because it gave us access to Lippincott's Nursing Center, the world's largest repository for online continuing education materials. Dr Moore's crowning achievement was acquisition of an Impact Factor for Journal, placing JWOCN among the top nursing journals in the world.
In 2006, Mikel Gray again assumed responsibilities as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal, along with a growing Editorial Board that includes Dorothy Doughty, the Journal's first Deputy Editor, and a stellar group of Section Editors, including Joy Pittman, Janice Colwell, Sandie Engberg, Janet Ramundo, and Donna Bliss. The ongoing commitment to the Journal as a repository for clinical evidence and research-based knowledge pertinent to WOC nursing is supported not only by the increasing proportion of articles published by authors from across the globe, but it is also reflected in the Journal's formal affiliation with the Canadian Association for Enterostomal Therapy (CAET). Through this relationship, the Journal is now an affiliate publication of the CAET. Kathryn Kozell is the first feature editor representing the CAET, and every member of the Association now receives the Journal as a member benefit. We look forward to expanding this type of relationship to select professional associations who share this long-standing commitment to a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the care of patients with wounds, ostomies and continence disorders.
Comparing the 21st century JWOCN to the publication I first interacted with as an author and editorial board member under Dot Smith's tenure reveals the massive progress and changes that characterize professional publications, the role of professional associations such as the WOCN Society, and nursing practice in the field of enterostomal therapy in general. While the historic Journal consisted of reprints from medical journals, case studies, and anecdotal observations, the current Journal primarily consists of original reports of research designed for and by WOC nurses. Similarly, while the historic journal was mostly limited to authors primarily based in the North America, the current Journal reaches a global audience, and its author pool includes a worldwide group of WOC nurses, along with a growing cohort of physicians, surgeons, and basic researchers seeking to publish in the Journal. While the historic Journal was limited to a printed document that was indexed in written guides such as Index Medicus and the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, the current Journal exists as both a printed and electronic document indexed in the largest electronic databases for nursing journals available, such as MEDLINE and CINAHL. In addition to its online presence, Journal content can also be accessed via its Web page (http://journals.lww.com/jwocnonline/pages/default.aspx). Under the leadership of our first Web Page Section Editor, Lee Ann Krapfl, the Journal's Web page is more than an electronic version of the table of contents and PDF versions of print articles. Instead, it combines these features with a great deal of unique content including supplemental digital content designed to augment materials appearing in the printed journal, editorial content from our Web Page Editor or guest editors, an image of the month, quick polls, and a blog called Getting the Skinny. The online Web page is also unique because it provides a central repository that enables us to publish articles as electronic documents, prior to their inclusion in the printed Journal. As of 2012, the Journal is also available via a third cutting-edge electronic format, as an application for use with the IPad tablet computer. This unique version of the Journal will combine shared editorial content with even more unique materials including short educational or demonstration videos and links to other pertinent resources.
From its historical role as a printed document combining clinical and professional practice issues if interest to ET nurses, to its current role as a multimedia resource for the latest evidence-based knowledge for WOC care, the Journal remains the most significant and constant record of our historical record, our current wisdom, and the evolving knowledge that will underpin our practice as we progress into the 21st century.
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