We've all been there before-the novice. Now, at the age of 53 years, I am once again a novice.
Wow! I am excited, humbled, and overwhelmed as I take my turn as the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Neuroscience Nursing (JNN). This is my first editorial for JNN, and in my moment as a novice, I looked back and read editorials from each of the past editors. My first wow moment was the realization that every word of every issue is now available online and free to every member of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN). Check it out at http://journals.lww.com/jnnonline/pages. The first issue of our Journal was published in October 1969. In the past 47 years, JNN has had 10 editors. Reading words from the past was inspiring and helped trace the history of JNN.
The first editor, Jay Kent (1969), thanked the many people who were involved in organizing the organization we now know as the AANN. Sylvia Kuttner became our second editor in 1970 and wrote a call to action. In Kuttner's first issue, four of the six articles had nursing authors. Five years later, Inie Johnson became the editor and asked the readers for input, "What do you want?" from our journal. In 1976, the focus was again shifted toward celebrating our success as Mercedes Bell took the reins and wrote, "We've come a long way baby" (after all, it was the 70s, and that's really how we spoke back then).
Barbara Krajewski started as the Editor in Chief in 1981 and wrote passionately about patient advocacy and the role of AANN publications in providing education. Joanne Hickey was the editor in 1984, and she pushed our professional practice forward with another call to action. Hickey included an expanded review board, and she challenged herself to improve the processing of submitted manuscripts. When Ellen Barker became the editor, she wrote of a changing landscape in neuroscience nursing. Likely, this reflects the challenges of the time; both the journal and the organization had recently changed names from "Neurosurgical Nursing" to the more inclusive "Neuroscience Nursing."
There have only been two editors since I joined AANN. Chris Stewart-Amidei was the JNN Editor in Chief for 20 years, beginning in 1988. As the longest running editor, Chris saw us through many changes, good times and bad. In her first editorial, she summarized five recommendations on how nurses could change participants. Then, in 2008, my mentor and friend, Susan Carroll, became the editor of JNN. Susan's editorials have been both informative and entertaining, drawing parallels between animated movies and the real challenges of professional practice. Her very first editorial helped us to think differently about our pursuit of excellence.
Turning to the past has helped me to better understand the journey that our Association and our Journal has taken. I may still be a novice editor, but I now have a fuller appreciation of the task ahead and a stronger sense of purpose. Thank you for the opportunity to work for all of you as the next Editor in Chief of an amazing journal.