In the past 6 weeks, I have represented the Journal of the Dermatology Nurses' Association (JDNA) at two conferences and thought I would share some of what I've been learning. The first conference was the annual conference of the International Academy of Nursing Editors (http://www.nursingeditors.com). This organization of all volunteers, which is fondly referred to as INANE for short, is not just a wealth of information for those of us involved in nursing publications but, each year, also brings together the most wonderful group of experienced and seasoned nursing editors. By nature, doing the work of the JDNA is often a solitary endeavor, and it is invigorating to take time to meet with colleagues involved in the same type of work. In addition to being energized by the dynamic work going on in the world of nursing publishing, I am always inspired by this group of nurses who are devoted to our profession and who are committed to advance nursing through their dedication, ongoing passion, and professionalism. Although the specific details of this conference may not pertain your day-to-day practice as a dermatology nurse, let me assure you that the topics covered in sessions will influence not only myself during the next year but also the actions and outcomes of the JDNA's Editorial Board and the JDNA itself. Just so you are not too worried that I spend all my time working, I've included a few photos to prove I took some time to enjoy Portland, ME, while I was there (see Figures 1 and 2).
Another conference that I attended was the annual Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) Symposium in Philadelphia, PA. This conference brings together the various editors of journals published by LWW. I think of this annual conference as a sort of boot camp for editors, where we learn about new trends in publishing in general while also learning specifics that can help our respective journals. I know that I leave every year with a to-do list that the JDNA can start working on, in an effort to be a more useful resource for you, our reader. One of these changes is that the JDNA is working with LWW to award continuing education (CE) credit to our reviewers. The role of the peer review is of utmost importance to our Journal, and awarding of CE credit is one way we can say "thank you" to those individuals who help to make the JDNA a strong publication. Like many programs, there are certain specifics involved in awarding the CE-not all articles are eligible, and the peer review must meet certain standards. In an effort to make the peer review job more specific and defined, the JDNA has even created Guidelines for Reviewers-please see http://journals.lww.com/jdnaonline/pages/default.aspx. If being a peer reviewer is something you'd be interested in and you would consider becoming a peer reviewer for JDNA, please don't hesitate to email me, and we can review the specifics in greater detail.
Of note in this issue is another new trend the JDNA has been working on bringing you in 2014. You may have read the Guest Editorial by Ehrlich, Inabinet, and Jacob (2014) in the July/August 2014 issue of JDNA. This article outlined the cooperative efforts between the JDNA and members of the American Contact Dermatitis Society to bring readers of the JDNA a timely and educational series called "Tools of the Trade" about topics in contact dermatitis. It is with excitement that I share with you the first of these articles, which debuts in this issue and is an article by Anderson (2014) called "Tools of the Trade: Schedules for Application and Reading Patch Testing." Please join me as we look forward to reading this ongoing feature and celebrate the interdisciplinary sharing of important knowledge.
In my last update for the year, just a reminder that Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, the publisher of the JDNA, is again awarding three Writing Awards to JDNA authors in 2014. Now that we are at the end of the year, I am sure you agree that many of the articles published this year are deserving of these awards. I encourage you to join us at the annual DNA conference in Las Vegas, NV, in April 2015 to help celebrate the award winners for excellence in writing both about dermatology nursing and for dermatology nurses.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Angela L. Borger
Editor in Chief
E-mail: [email protected]
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