The New Year is a time to reflect back on the previous year and a time to set new goals. It's hard to believe the journal is already entering its' third year. The year 2008 was very rewarding and gratifying to me as the Editor-in-Chief. I had an opportunity to survey our readers and the responses have been very positive. Along with your praises, we've also encouraged you to share with us how we may serve you better.
As an educator, my job is to identify the educational needs of the perioperative team, support staff in maintaining competency, and provide opportunities for staff development. These same criteria can be related to providing the best experience for our readers.
What's new in 2009?
A needs assessment based on emerging trends and the ever-changing organizational accreditation and regulatory standards, led us to introduce some changes during the upcoming year. OR Nurse 2009 will offer new columns addressing regulatory agency and accreditation standards, tips for the new nurse in the perioperative setting, and the application of genetics in the clinical setting.
Regulation and accreditation
Staying knowledgeable about current regulatory and accrediting agencies' standards, understanding the implications to the organization, and applying those standards to the perioperative setting can be daunting but necessary in providing optimal and quality patient care. OR Nurse 2009 will offer readers the information you need to be up to date on the latest in regulatory and accreditation standards in plain language, as well as the best way to incorporate these standards in your OR setting.
Tips for new nurses
Perioperative nursing continues to be a unique and highly specialized field, and it isn't always supported in nursing college curriculums. Applying general nursing concepts to the perioperative setting presents different challenges. Our new column will be devoted to providing practical tips for the new nurse to use in the surgical setting.
Genetics
Nurses should be familiar with the language associated with genetics, the implications of childhood genetic diseases on an adult's current and future health, as well as the ethical challenges and considerations genetic information presents.1 The upcoming issues will offer information on incorporating the knowledge of genetics into nursing practice.
Share your thoughts
In addition to addressing the topics above, OR Nurse 2009 will continue to offer the tried and true departments you have come to expect, as well as evidence-based and nursing-focused information on surgical procedures and the opportunity to complete continuing education credits, all in a practical and user-friendly format.
We also encourage you to consider our journal for publication. Sharing with others your experiences and knowledge of operative procedures not only develops others' practice, but also your own.
OR Nurse 2009 hopes you'll continue to share with us how the journal meets your needs and suggestions for future topics. We look forward to serving you in the upcoming year.
Elizabeth M. Thompson, RN, CNOR, MSN
Editor-in-Chief, Nursing Education Specialist, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. [email protected]
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