This issue illuminates the ways INS members intricately weave their INS commitments to cover all aspects of the Society's life. Three of the authors featured are INS Past Presidents who have shown their regard for INS's progress and success over the course of many years. Each has been active on every level of the Society, from serving on the INS Board of Directors and participating on INS committees to contributing to INS Local Chapters and presenting educational sessions at INS national meetings.
Cynthia Chrystal, who cowrote "Faculty and Clinicians Collaborate to Teach Basic IV Skills to Senior Baccalaureate Nursing Students" with Katherine Barry Frame, led INS during the 1983 to 1984 presidential term. Krisha Scharnweber, author of "Alpha1-Antitrypsin Deficiency and the Impact of Nursing Interventions and Treatment with Intravenous Therapy: An Overview," served INS as President from 1991 to 1992. We also hear from Debbie Benvenuto in this issue, with "Prostacycline (Flolan): IV Nursing Responsibilities in the Care of the Patient with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension." Debbie is the Society's only two-term President (1993-1995). Today she extends her expertise and insight as Nurse Educator/IV Therapy at the INS National Office.
INS strives to engage members in multifaceted professional development, provide opportunities for members and colleagues to share perspectives on the specialty, and offer leadership possibilities so that INS members can truly shine among their colleagues. The accomplished INS Past Presidents featured in this issue-all of whom are authors, educators, experienced clinicians, and leaders in the specialty-are examples of the best that INS can be. They have contributed to the Intravenous Nursing Standards of Practice and the Core Curriculum for Intravenous Nursing, participated as faculty members at INS Annual Meetings and the National Academy of Intravenous Therapy, served as Journal reviewers and as resources during development of the INS audio and video tape series, and offered their experience as leaders of INS committees and Local Chapters. They embody the dedication that is critical to our growth as a nursing specialty organization and the determination that is vital to their own professional development.
As you consider the articles published in this issue of the Journal, I hope you will keep in mind the ways in which you can contribute to the viability of your professional organization. Whether you choose to begin your "INS career" as a Journal of Intravenous Nursing author, by seeking an elected position on the INS Board of Directors, or by sharing your expertise through a poster, abstract, or roundtable presentation at an INS meeting, every effort on your part broadens the scope of what INS is able to offer your colleagues. If you are a long-time INS leader in search of a new way to contribute to the Society, options abound for your involvement.
In the long tradition of these authors and INS members who have nurtured the growth of the Society, your participation at any level is appreciated. This issue of the Journal should serve as a reminder of how important it is to get involved and stay involved to make INS as strong as it can be.
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