Some years ago, an elderly nurse came by my office at the university and asked if she could donate a precious gift to me. She explained that she was retiring and had been a rehabilitation nurse for many years. She had collected every issue of Rehabilitation Nursing since it had been published and wanted me to keep her collection so that the Journal could continue to instruct and inform students. I gratefully accepted this large volume of work, using the journals in classes with students to demonstrate the history and development of rehabilitation nursing as a specialty. Having every issue of the Journal from decades past is a constant reminder of how the Journal reflects our profession. In fact, rehabilitation nursing provides an exemplar of specialty development, and the changing nature of the profession can be seen through the progression of the Rehabilitation Nursing journal. Rehabilitation Nursing has a long and distinguished tenure. As the new editor, I thought it appropriate to look back on the history of the Journal and then share some goals for the future moving forward.
In 1975 when the ARN Journal was first published with Dagny Engle as editor (Williams, 2011), nurses were still wearing caps and struggling for professional recognition. In 1976, when ARN was officially recognized as a specialty organization, rehabilitation nursing began to bloom, providing an exemplar of specialty progress. Mary Ann Mikulic was the second editor of RNJ from 1977 to 1980, followed by Barbara McHugh, Glee Walquist, and Susan Novak. One decade later, we had a core curriculum, scope and standards of practice, a philosophy and conceptual framework, the Rehabilitation Nursing Foundation (RNF), certification for rehabilitation nurses, and a more modern look for the Journal.
In 1988, Belinda Puetz served as editor until Susan Dean-Barr was named editor in 1998. The explosion of interest and involvement in ARN prompted nurses to return for advanced education, and from 1992 to 1996, ARN published Rehabilitation Nursing Research, reflecting the remarkable growth of our specialty area. Soon after, ARN had position statements, a growing number of certified nurses, numerous local chapters and active special interest groups, a well-attended annual conference, representation on national health committees, funding for research grants, and many products and publications available to guide and enhance practice. In 2003, Elaine Miller became the editor of RNJ and served faithfully until the end of 2016. Dr. Miller is the longest-serving editor of the Journal. During these many years, the Journal saw changes that reflected our specialty practice.
Today, Rehabilitation Nursing reflects the highest quality of research and clinical work done by scholars working in our profession. There are more rehabilitation nurses with advanced degrees than ever before, and nursing as a discipline still holds the number one place for most trusted professions (Gallup, 2016). Johnson & Johnson even featured rehabilitation nursing as a specialty in their 2011 Discover Nursing campaign, recognizing the value that rehab nurses bring to helping those with disabilities return to independence and a higher quality of life. Our specialty practice continues to grow and flourish.
This first issue of the Journal in 2017 marks several unique beginnings and endings. First, we must bid a heartfelt farewell to our distinguished RNJ Editor, Elaine Tilka-Miller. Elaine is both a role model and friend to many. She brought great enthusiasm and professionalism to the role of Editor-in-Chief and took the Journal to heights beyond all expectations. I was fortunate enough to have Elaine as a mentor in many areas of my career, and she has been kind to share her knowledge with me as we transition editors. Second, we welcome a new managing editor, Melissa Schwedel, who replaces Gail Pannozza from the AMC staff. Thank you to Gail for her many years of competent management along with Elaine. Lastly, we are pleased to be partnering with Wolters-Kluwer Health, Inc. (WK) as our publisher, whom most of our readers will recognize through the esteemed name of Lippincott (LWW). Kathleen Phelan, who has been with LWW for 28 years, leads a seasoned team of professionals who bring novel ideas to promote and expand our journal. These many changes signify a unique opportunity for continued growth as we expand the profession of rehabilitation nursing.
The legacy of the Journal and the efforts of the prior editors have helped to lead the practice of rehabilitation nursing. As incoming editor of the Journal, I will strive to continue the excellent tradition already established and build on existing strengths while achieving new goals. To build on the exceptional tradition of the Journal is an awesome challenge, but there are several key goals that I hope to pursue with the help of our editorial board. Dr. Miller aimed to raise the impact factor of the Journal, so continuing that trend is a priority to further the reach of the specialty. Incorporating an increased number of review articles, continuing dedicated issues, integrating better search engine optimization with keywords, using the far-reaching networks of our members, and improving social media connections are some strategies to accomplish this. We hope to include more international articles and examine the feasibility of having volunteers from our ARN membership help review/edit manuscripts from other countries prior to submission. LWW/WK, as our new publisher, has many resources to help us toward this goal. In addition, since many of the readers of the Journal are working as staff nurses, having more articles that are directly and immediately applicable to clinical practice is a goal. I specifically encourage DNP students who want to publish their literature reviews or evidence-based project reports to submit to RNJ.
We also hope to increase the number of nurses who thoroughly read the Journal, and this is where you can help. Think about starting a journal club in your facility to promote use of the highest standards of care as set forth in RNJ. Ask yourself how you can contribute interprofessional research and quality improvement projects to increase visibility, credibility, and applicability of our already flourishing journal. The year 2017 has begun with many changes. Working together, we can move RNJ forward and promote the profession of rehabilitation nursing.
As a rehabilitation nurse, ARN is your home and Rehabilitation Nursing is your journal. I hope that at ARN you feel special, valued, and part of an amazing organization that has true vision and purpose. Get involved in ARN and let us help you accomplish your career goals. Together we can move the nursing profession toward the realization of our most audacious organizational goal: To transform health care by integrating rehabilitation nursing concepts into care for all people. Accomplishing this goal together could change the world!
Kristen L. Mauk, PhD, DNP, RN, CRRN, GCNS-BC, GNP-BC, ACHPN, FAAN
Editor-in-Chief
References