The old adage, "Time flies when you are having fun," is certainly true for me. It is hard to believe that with this issue, I celebrate my first anniversary as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing. I have enjoyed corresponding with authors, developing a group of talented and diverse manuscript reviewers, and meeting HPNA members at the Joint Clinical Conference last March. I am looking forward to meeting many more at the conference this year. (Note: It will be held in Denver on April 9 to 12. Look for details on the HPNA pages in this issue.)
One activity that took considerable time was to establish an Editorial Advisory Board. Many people expressed interest in serving in this capacity and selecting a core group of five took careful thought. But decide I did. I think that these five talented individuals: Mary Ersek, Darrell Owens, Molly Poleto, Barbara Raudonis, and Carol Stephenson will provide me with a wealth of educational, clinical, research, and publishing experience to guide me in my role as Editor-in-Chief.
Let me tell you a bit about each of them.
Mary Ersek is a research scientist in the Pain Research Department at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, and holds a concurrent research appointment at the University of Washington School of Nursing. Her research interests include pain management in older adults and end-of-life care in nursing homes. She has been a hospice and palliative care nurse for more than 16 years. Mary received her master's and doctorate in nursing from the University of Washington and a bachelor of nursing from Georgetown University.
Darrell Owens is the Director for Providence Hospice and Palliative Care of Seattle. He has more than 10 years of experience as a hospice and palliative care administrator, educator, and nurse consultant. In 2002, Darrell was a Harvard Medical School Scholar in Palliative Care Education and Practice. He holds a BS in nursing with academic distinction from Emory University, an MS in Health Services Administration from St. Mary's College of California, and a Doctorate from Kennedy-Western University in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Molly Poleto has worked in a variety of clinical and administrative positions in hospice and palliative care. Currently, she maintains a private consultancy and teaches a variety of audiences, as she is a certified trainer for both ELNEC (End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium) and EPEC (Education for Physicians in End of Life Care) curricula. She has been in the field of end-of-life care since 1983 when she assumed managerial responsibility for a discrete inpatient hospice unit at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany, New York. Molly has just completed 6 years of service on the Board of Directors of HPNA, including 2 years as President. She is a graduate of Canton College and Russell Sage College in Troy, New York.
Barbara Raudonis is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington School of Nursing. She has focused her clinical expertise and research in gerontological nursing and end-of-life care. Barbara's formal education includes degrees in biology, pathology, and nursing. She received her doctorate in nursing from the University of Texas at Austin, followed by a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship in research training related to nursing care of older adults at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Oregon. She served as a guest editor for the April-June 2001 issue of JHPN.
Carol Stephenson is currently a case manager at St. Paul Hospice in Dallas, Texas. She has spent more than 30 years as a nursing educator, all the while maintaining a clinical practice in medical surgical nursing, critical care, home healthcare, and hospice. Her particular interests are pain management, nausea and vomiting, and pulmonary disease. Carol started her nursing career with a diploma in nursing and went on to receive a BSN from Indiana University, an MSN from the University of Texas at San Antonio, a post-master's specialization in pulmonary nursing from the University of Arizona, and a doctorate in education from North Texas State University.
The Editorial Advisory Board will be assisting me in developing policy and direction for the journal, reviewing manuscripts, writing, and, in general, just being "cheerleaders" for JHPN. Personally, I think this journal is one of the best-kept secrets in hospice and palliative nursing. I am looking to the Editorial Advisory Board to helping me get the word out to a broader audience about what a valuable resource this is.
Even though the Editorial Advisory Board is set, there are still plenty of opportunities to become involved in JHPN. Writing opportunities are endless; contact me for more information. I have no limit on the number of manuscript reviewers in the pool-if you have expertise in specific areas of hospice and palliative nursing with concurrent expertise in clinical practice, education, research, or administration-then by all means, drop me a line. We have a regular flow of books, software, and other materials into the Editorial Office and I am always on the lookout for reviewers. Letters to the editor are another way to let me know what you like, what you don't, and where you think we should be heading. Do you have a clinical question? Send it in for IDT Consult and we'll have it answered by an expert. This journal is your journal. Take advantage of the resources it offers and help to shape its future growth.
I often say that I "live" in my e-mail and I answer my own phone. Please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected] or call me at 207-553-7750. I look forward to hearing from you!