The expanding roles of nursing professionals include not only providing nursing interventions to patients who have acute and/or chronic illnesses but also advancing nursing education, facilitating health promotion, and improving the quality of health care. The nursing profession continues to grow through evidence-based research, knowledge innovation, and global collaboration. We hope that The Journal of Nursing Research may provide and disseminate advanced knowledge for nursing professionals and help in improving the quality of nursing care.
Ten original articles are featured in this issue of The Journal of Nursing Research, including both quantitative and qualitative studies that cover topics such as effective nursing interventions, the job involvement and sleep patterns of nurses working in hospitals, the life experiences of patients at the end stage of their illness, and nursing education. In the current issue, three studies adopted quasi-experimental designs to investigate the outcomes of: a health education intervention for patients during colonoscopy procedures (Hsueh et al.), an Internet-based communication education program for communication between nurses and dementia patients (Chao et al.), and an elastic-band exercise program for older adults in the community (Chan et al.). Their results shed light on the development of nursing interventions that enhance quality of care. Furthermore, this issue includes one instrument validation and 3 correlation studies. A cross-sectional survey was conducted by Huang et al. to validate an instrument for assessing the symptoms of cigarette withdrawal among male smokers. Results of this study help health professionals to better evaluate the severity of symptoms and develop treatment interventions. Hiratani and Hohashi used a self-administered questionnaire to compare the family functioning of single-parent families living in remote, rural islands and urban settings in order to assess the influence of the unique environment on family functioning. Furthermore, Wang and Chang studied the impact of job involvement on emotional labor and customer-oriented behaviors among nursing staffs. Ruggiero and Avi-Itzhak analyzed the shift-related sleep pattern differences of emergency department nurses. These two studies offer a reference to nursing administrators for managing human resources and for facilitating sleep promotion interventions.
Additionally, a qualitative approach was used in 3 articles in this issue. Lin et al. conducted a qualitative study using data from the reflection reports of study participants to explore the views on the core values of nursing among baccalaureate nursing students. Results of this study provide an essential guide for evaluating learning outcomes and the effectiveness of nursing curriculum reform. Furthermore, two studies adopted phenomenological approaches to explore the life experiences of patients receiving hemodialysis treatment for end-stage renal disease (Chiaranai) and to explore the process of transformation in nurses caring for dying patients (Huang et al.). These two studies contribute to the related literature and advanced knowledge in nursing care of patients who are at the end stage of their illness.
Results of the articles in this issue may help advance knowledge in contemporary nursing education, practice, and policymaking. The Journal of Nursing Research encourages rigorous research articles and randomized controlled trials that test innovative nursing interventions in a diverse range of practice areas and that continuously enhance the successful transfer of knowledge into increasingly effective nursing strategies.