Renewal and transformation are persistent themes in holistic practice. All living entities experience developmental milestones-some natural, some planned. The publication of the January 2003 issue of Holistic Nursing Practice (HNP), a professional nursing journal with a 23-year history, marks a transformation designed to better serve our readers interested in the philosophies and practices of holistic care. The redesign of HNP invites us to consider the evolution of the journal from its beginnings to its current state.
Holistic Nursing Practice originated in April 1979 under the title Topics in Clinical Nursing (TCN), one of a group of nursing journals published by Aspen, a healthcare publishing group. You might remember the green, white, and black cover of TCN. The content, however, had a distinct holistic bent that highlighted issues and practices such as stress management, pain management, ethics in nursing, physical activity, and health.
After 7 years of publication, TCN had evolved to a point where the content of the journal demanded a change in look and format to highlight its holistic orientation. Thus, in 1986, TCN was renamed Holistic Nursing Practice. A new cover featuring the universal symbol of transformation portrayed in shades of gray and rose was clearly in keeping with the promise of peace and relaxation that holistic care offers. For the next 15 years, HNP offered its readers explorations of such topics as sacred cows in nursing, spirituality and healing, human abuse, controversies in holistic care, the human-animal bond, and an issue on AIDS that featured healing practices and self-care issues.
In 2002, Lippincott William & Wilkins, A Wolters Kluwer Health Company, the new publisher of HNP, initiated the next phase of the journal's transformation. The new HNP, first published in January 2003, will now be published 6 times a year instead of quarterly. Its larger size, the redesigned cover, and internal format are only the beginning elements of a phased evolution that will include more focused and evidence-based explorations of holistic interventions and practices. The images on the cover suggest the journal's continued commitment to holistic philosophies and practices commonly used by nurses.
The new editorial board, a combination of veteran and new board members, will shape editorial policy and set strategic directions for the new HNP. The journal will also include product advertisements consistent with the philosophy and purpose of the journal.
In this age of technological advancements in healthcare, it is important to focus on holistic approaches and what they mean to patients and nurses. Out-of-pocket expenditures on a variety of holistic products and services at a rate of $14 billion per year reflect the public's interest in preserving some choice and control of treatment and care and seeking interventions intended to preserve well-being and promote comfort and healing. As nurses, we must strive to heighten our awareness of the scientific basis of holistic interventions and products as part of our advocacy role and responsibility in promoting quality patient care. We hope that you are as excited as we are about the latest transformation of HNP.