2009: A Year of Celebration
Along with this issue of the journal, readers will receive a copy of Celebrating 20 Years, a history of the National Nursing Staff Development Organization (NNSDO) from 1989 to 2009. This document was produced for initial distribution at the NNSDO convention commemorating the organization's 20th anniversary in Philadelphia, July 8-12, 2009.
The document was a labor of love; as the Founder of both the journal and the organization, I served as the editor. I invited contributions from the individuals who comprised the initial group, the Steering Committee, who helped launch the organization. It was fun to get in touch with all of them again and to learn what they were doing currently and what they had experienced during the intervening years. Reading their recollections of their service on the Steering Committee brought back lots of memories[horizontal ellipsis]it was indeed an exciting time for all of us. We worked quite hard but the results were gratifying.
It was humbling to compile the timeline of accomplishments of NNSDO. An amazing number of individuals contributed to NNSDO's success; staff development educators volunteered for the most complex and arduous of tasks and achieved the desired results. The organization affected many activities in the specialty, including certification, standards of practice, and evidence-based practice, among others.
It was interesting to note how often NNSDO was invited to participate in various nursing and healthcare events, such as those related to gerontological nursing, genetics and genomics, and simulation. It became apparent that NNSDO was recognized and the opinions of its leaders were valued. In these and other activities, NNSDO collaborated with the American Nurses Association, the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the National League for Nursing, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.
The NNSDO was involved in many activities on the state and local levels through its affiliates. Affiliates grew in number from a handful in the first few years to over 40 currently.
The reflections of the past presidents demonstrate the ongoing concern for the organization's members. Current president Barbara Brunt continues in service to members; incoming president, Sandra Bruce, who took office following the convention, will follow the tradition of responsiveness to members as well.
As NNSDO grew and prospered, so did the journal. Manuscripts were submitted from locations around the world, particularly with the initiation of an electronic manuscript submission system. The NNSDO members were invited to serve on the editorial board of the journal, and these individuals participate as authors, as convention concurrent and poster session presenters, and as members on NNSDO committees and task forces.
The journal and the organization are inextricably linked. One influences the other; both are successful representations of the specialty practice of staff development. The Journal for Nurses in Staff Development is 25 years old this year as well, so 2009 is a joint year of celebration for both journal and organization. Congratulations to both!