The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) is pleased to announce that its official publication, The Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing (JHPN) has a new Editor-in-Chief and a new publisher, effective with the January-March 2002 issue. Leslie H. Nicoll, PhD, MBA, RN, assumed the duties of Editor-in-Chief in the last quarter of 2001; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins of Philadelphia assumed publication of the journal with volume 4, issue 1.
Dr. Nicoll brings experience as an Editor as well as clinical expertise in hospice and palliative care to her new role. Since 1995, she has been the Editor-in-Chief of CIN:Computers, Informatics, and Nursing (CIN), the first and only peer-reviewed journal focusing on the use of computers and informatics in nursing practice, education, and research. In addition to her interest and expertise in informatics, Dr. Nicoll has been active in the specialty of hospice and palliative care during the past decade. A founding member of the Maine Cancer Pain Initiative (MCPI), she is currently the President of the Board of the Maine Hospice Council.
In 1995, Dr. Nicoll received a grant from the National Cancer Institute to fund the Hospice and Palliative Care Education Network (HAPCEN), a statewide education initiative that provided didactic and clinical education to more than 250 nurses, physicians, counselors, social workers, and students in the health professions. Alert readers of Home Healthcare Nurse may recall several articles that were written by HAPCEN faculty and published in the journal in 1998 and 1999.
As HAPCEN ended, another opportunity presented itself, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The "Community-State Partnership to Improve End-of-Life Care" was a state-wide, grassroots effort to educate the public, work with legislators, and increase dialogue throughout Maine on issues surrounding care at the end of life. Dr. Nicoll provided technical assistance to grant partners on research and data collection and analysis.
Asked about the editorship of JHPN, Dr. Nicoll replied, "I am very excited to have this opportunity to move the journal to a new level. I am also pleased to have the chance to bring my knowledge of hospice and palliative care to the national level. Much of my work in the area has been confined to Maine. I am looking forward to broadening my scope of influence."
With the journal's relaunch, several new features have been added. Each issue will contain four to five peer-reviewed articles, which can report research findings, clinical innovations, and other topics relevant to nurses working in hospice and palliative care settings. In addition, a new department, "Panorama," will feature news; reviews of books, software, and audio-visual products; a calendar of events; letters to the editor; and brief articles and features on interesting trends in hospice and palliative care. HPNA will have a section devoted to news and information from the Association.
"IDT Consult" will feature a question-and-answer format with experts answering readers' questions related to clinical practice, ethical issues, legal concerns, and pharmacologic management. "I'll Never Forget" will be the closing page of the journal and will feature case studies, memorable patient stories, poetry, and other reader contributions.
Dr. Nicoll looks forward to hearing from potential authors and manuscript reviewers. "There are many ways to become involved in JHPN," she states. "Even if you do not feel comfortable writing a 15-page manuscript, you can still have a voice in the journal."