The year 2014 represents the 10th anniversary of the Journal of Forensic Nursing, a momentous milestone in the brief history of the Journal. The inaugural issue, published in the spring of 2005, launched "a journal for a new era" (Sheridan, 2005, p. 6)-the Official Journal of the International Association of Forensic Nurses. The Journal of Forensic Nursing, as we know it today, represents the collective efforts, dreams, and aspirations of a number of Association members, including Past Presidents, Boards of Directors, and members of the Journal Task Force, who believed that a scholarly publication dedicated to the advancement of forensic nursing science was essential to the survival and ongoing development of forensic nursing as a specialty (Lawson, 2005; Sheridan, 2005). Anniversaries, like birthdays, or the ringing in of a new year provide us with opportunities to eat, drink, and be merry. More importantly, they provide us with the occasion to: 1) embrace our history by looking back and reflecting on what has been; 2) celebrate our accomplishments; and 3) welcome the inherent uncertainties of what is yet to come. Please join me in wishing the Journal of Forensic Nursing a "Happy 10th Anniversary!"
Looking Back
I would like to formally acknowledge the founding Editor of the Journal of Forensic Nursing, Dr. Louanne Lawson, whose wisdom, tenacity, and determination ensured the positive launch of the Journal in 2005 and who successfully spearheaded the Journal until her retirement in 2009. I had the good fortune of working with Dr. Lawson as an Associate Editor, and together with Dr. Paul Thomas Clements, the other inaugural Associate Editor, we worked diligently as we pondered the practical realities of launching a new publication. If truth be told, we often had more questions than answers to our ponderings. Who will fill the vacant Editorial Board positions? Will we have enough content to fill the pages of our quarterly publication? Will we find a sufficient number of peer reviewers? Will we be able to meet the diverse needs of the membership? How will we meet the needs of forensic nurses globally? And lastly, will we be able to meet our mandate to develop the scientific foundation to support our practice? When I think back, I am amused by some of my memories from those early days, but what stands out most glaringly is just how laborious the manuscript submission process was. In our original Guidelines for Authors in 2005, we required authors to mail five copies of the manuscript (an original, plus four copies) and a version on disk or CD-ROM! And although some authors may still find the process of submitting their manuscripts electronically a tad arduous, moving toward electronic submissions not only streamlined the submission and peer review process but also significantly decreased the time from submission to acceptance to publication.
Transitions
We have seen several transitions along the way, including transitions in Publishers and Editorial Board Members. The Journal of Forensic Nursing was originally launched under the direction of Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc. (2005-2007) and later introduced to the international community under the guidance of Wiley-Blackwell (2008-2012). Since 2013, under the skillful leadership of Wolters-Kluwer Health/Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, the Journal has evolved in ways that we could never have imagined. We accomplished so much in 2013 that it's hard to believe it has only been a year since the International Association of Forensic Nurses embarked on this new partnership to publish the Journal of Forensic Nursing. Since then, we have seen a significant increase in pages for each issue, and we now publish on average eight articles per issue; prior to 2013, we published only five articles per issue. We have also seen the successful launch of the of the iPad Journal App, and each issue offers readers the ability to further engage in continuing education through NursingCenter.com, where we featured four unique and diverse topics for further exploration over the past year. If you neglected to take advantage of this member benefit, it is not too late. See Table 1 for further information.
The Journal itself has undergone transitions in its look and design, sporting four distinct covers in its short history. The mission and mandate of the Journal, however, has endured, and our identity is ever strong. We currently publish original articles, review articles, case reports, and letters to the editor. And although we no longer feature departmental columns (e.g., research column, interpersonal violence column, death investigation column, etc.), due to a decision to devote Journal pages to the timely publication of peer-reviewed manuscripts that had been accepted for publication, we at the same time began to formally acknowledge authors for excellence in research, education, and clinical practice (refer to Table 2). Through the dissemination of knowledge that is relevant to the needs of contemporary forensic nursing practice, we have firmly established the Journal of Forensic Nursing as a dynamic, scholarly publication, the foremost authority in forensic nursing globally.
During this time of transition, we also bid farewell to inaugural Editorial Board Members and Column Editors: Dr. Louanne Lawson, Editor-in-Chief (2005-2009); Dr. Paul Thomas Clements, Associate Editor (2005-2012) and Research Column Editor (2005-2010); Dr. Donna Gaffney, Editorial Board Member and Media, Government, and Policy Column Editor (2005-2007); Dr. Steve Koehler, Editorial Board Member (2005-2013) and Death Investigation Column Editor (2005-2010); Dr. Linda Ledray, Editorial Board Member (2005-2013) and Sexual Assault Column Editor (2005-2010); Dr. Tom Mason, Editorial Board Member (2005-2007); Dr. Kathleen Sekula, Editorial Board Member (2005-2012) and Interpersonal Violence Column Editor (2005-2010); Dr. Dian Williams, Legal Nurse Consulting Column Editor; and Ms. Lynda Benak, Clinical Forensic Nursing Column Editor. On the plus side, we also welcomed Dr. Brian McKenna, Editorial Board Member in 2008, who assumed the role of Case Reports Editor in 2012; Dr. Karen Neill, Editorial Board Member in 2010, who assumed the role of Associate Editor in 2013; and also in 2013, Editorial Board Members Dr. Alison Colbert, Dr. Kathryn Laughon, and Dr. Liz Walsh. Finally, Dr. Annie Lewis-O'Connor and Dr. Anita Hufft, the newest members of our Editorial Board, joined us in 2014. Please stay tuned for a future editorial featuring the biographies of our current Editorial Board.
Special Themed Issues
Given the multifaceted and diverse nature of forensic nursing, we have featured special themed issues as a way of drawing attention to particular topics in forensic nursing. A special note of thanks is extended to the guest editors who, over the years, have enriched our understanding of forensic nursing in its totality. A note of gratitude to Dr. Ann Burgess and Dr. Paul Thomas Clements, who coedited "Elder Abuse: A Call to Action for Forensic Nurses" in 2006. In 2007, we were pleased to have Virginia Lynch, a pioneer in forensic nursing, serve as guest editor for "Forensic Nursing Science and the Global Agenda." I had the privilege of being a guest editor in 2008 for an issue entitled "Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Mothering: A Forensic Nursing Response." This was followed by another special issue in 2009 on "Child Maltreatment," with Dr. Angelo Giardino serving as guest editor. This past year, a special issue devoted to "Forensic Correctional Nursing" graced the pages of the Journal. A special thank you to Dr. Denise Panosky for serving as coeditor on this special issue.
To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Journal of Forensic Nursing, a special themed issue featuring a comprehensive range of issues, processes, theories, and practices aimed at the advancement of forensic nursing will be published later this year under the guidance of Dr. Angela Amar, who will serve as Guest Editor. We would love to hear from you, so please put your pen to paper or your fingers to keyboards as the deadline for submission is quickly approaching. All manuscripts for consideration for this special commemorative issue should be received by April 1, 2014.
A Debt of Gratitude
In many ways, this editorial is a tribute to all who have supported the Journal along the way. Clearly the success of the Journal would not be possible if not for the scholarly contributions of the authors, the commitment of the reviewers, the dedication of the Editorial Board Members, our partnership with the International Association of Forensic Nurses, the consumers of our Journal, and, of course, the guidance of our publisher, who keeps us appraised of relevant issues from the publishing world. I, for one, am particularly grateful for their clinical, educational, theoretical, research, and administrative knowledge and expertise. In the colloquial world of "they sayers," they say that "more heads are better than one." I would also like to acknowledge Kathleen Maguire, Managing Editor; Natasha Dougherty, Senior Production Editor; and Beth Guthy, our Publisher, for their commitment to publication excellence. By drawing upon the collective wisdom of the whole, we are well situated to confidently embrace the next decade in the evolution of the Journal of Forensic Nursing.
Into the Future
As we commemorate this significant milestone in the Journal's history, we do so with pride. And while I cannot gaze into my crystal ball in hope of seeing what the future will bring, I am cognizant of the need to "stay ahead of the pack" (Cockerell, 2008). The Journal of Forensic Nursing is well positioned to continue to grow and evolve as a vibrant and dynamic, responsive publication that meets the needs of forensic nurses globally. To stay ahead of the pack, I need your input and look forward to your suggestions, your questions, and your comments. Together, we can insure the Journal's success in the coming decade. Cheers!
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