We are celebrating 35 years of the Journal for Nurses in Professional Development (JNPD) at a time when the publishing world is changing rapidly and when high-quality scholarly work is arguably more important than ever. This achievement marks a time to reflect, celebrate, and look to the future. In the first issue of the Journal, then the Journal for Nurses in Staff Development, Dr. Belinda Puetz introduced the editorial board, a core group of experts in staff development; the Journal's focus on shared concerns and relevant solutions; and the Journal's commitment to the readers (Puetz, 1985). Initially the Journal was published in print quarterly. JNPD is now published six times per year both in print and online. In addition, online-only articles, continuing education contact hour features, and an Editor's Pick article are offered in each issue, and readers' poll, various collections, videos, and other resources are available on the website http://www.jnpdonline.com. The journal is thoroughly indexed in major databases, and its articles are widely shared and cited.
In 2014, the 30th year of JNPD, the editors noted how quickly the nursing professional development specialty had evolved since 2009 (Bindon & Schmidt, 2014). New columns were added including the Scope & Standards, Transition to Practice, Leadership, and Ask an Expert columns. New collections, including the video collection, were added to the website. The challenge and call to action "to keep thinking, innovating, and moving the bar to excellence" (Bindon & Schmidt, 2014, p. 1) has been underscored in the last 5 years. At the 2018 JNPD Annual Editorial Board meeting, the Board discussed ideas for celebrating our 35 years as a Journal and our 30 years of partnership with the Association for Nursing Professional Development, while focusing on the future of the Journal and our nursing professional development specialty. This issue is a result of that robust brainstorming discussion and the efforts of many.
This 35th anniversary issue of JNPD includes a reflection of our past, as well as consideration of our current focus and future opportunities. The Leadership, Transition to Practice, Simulation, and Preceptorship columns reflect on the evolution of those aspects of our specialty practice. The column editors included feedback received from readers and how that feedback has contributed to the content in their columns. The Editor's Pick "Ninety Years and Counting: The Past, Present and Future of the Nursing Professional Development Specialty," by Patsy Maloney and Launette Woolforde, shares the evolution of our specialty and the contributions of its members. In keeping with the theme of growth and progress, the continuing education feature "New-to-Setting Nurse Transition: A Concept Analysis" explores the concept and best practices of helping experienced nurses adjust to new settings. Each of the feature articles focuses on innovative practices of our colleagues. These articles include a study of Malaysian nurses' attitudes toward suicide and implications for professional development, self-care strategies for addressing compassion fatigue, targeted education for pediatric nurses, and clinical staff's motivators and barriers to engagement in health-promoting behaviors.
In its 35 years, the Journal has had only three editor transitions; founding editor Belinda Puetz, co-editors-in-chief Kari Schmidt and Susan Bindon, and now the new JNPD editor Kathleen Burke, who offers the following thoughts. "I am excited and honored to be the new Editor-in-Chief. My editorial vision for JNPD builds on its legacy as the key resource for our profession. I envision JNPD as the premier scholarly voice for an evidence-based agenda for nursing professional development practitioners. I look forward to working with our Editorial Board, publisher, and all of our current and future authors as we continue to strive towards excellence!"
One of the best ways to celebrate JNPD's legacy and innovate for the future is to share and discuss the content of the Journal with your colleagues and consider the application of best practices in your organization. Of course, as you innovate and learn, share your insights in future manuscripts submitted to JNPD. Indeed, we all continue to learn from each other!
References