A Time of Change

Article Outline

• Copyright

Periodically, over the past 25 years since the first issue of the Journal of Pediatric Nursing (JPN) was published, the team of editors associated with the journal changes as members have determined that it is time to pursue other professional opportunities or seek respite from the very intense demands associated with an editorship. With the departure of long-standing professional associates comes the advent of partnerships with new team members of committed and outstanding professionals who are eager to share their expertise and fresh perspectives. I would like to announce the range of changes—the departures and the addition of new members of the JPN editorial team.

Dr. Maura MacPhee, who has served as the Associate Editor of JPN since 2003, has relinquished her position to redirect her energies to other areas of professional interests and pursuits. During her tenure, Dr. MacPhee worked tirelessly on behalf of JPN and contributed in important ways to the journal's mission. She supported and collaborated closely with numerous first-time authors to assist them in writing publishable papers for submission to the JPN columns of Clinical Practice and International Pediatric Nursing. Her efforts have resulted in an array of publications from American and international authors that have contributed to the pediatric nursing literature. She has performed in the most professional manner possible, expending tremendous amount of time and effort to ensure that novice and first-time authors were supported to realize their aspirations of becoming published writers. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with her over these many years and will miss her wise counsel and insights.

The last column of the Child in the Community authored by Column Editor, Rita Monsen, RN, DNS, FAAN, appears in this issue. Dr. Monsen has served as the editor of that column for the past decade. Under her leadership, she has written nearly all of the columns that appeared in every JPN issue. Each of the columns addressed important, relevant, and timely issues pertaining to the unmet community needs of children, youth, and their families, reflecting her astute understanding and insights. Her important work and contribution to the Journal will be sorely missed. In addition, I would be remiss if I did not mention that Dr. Monsen never missed a publication deadline during her entire 10-year tenure—an accomplishment that I dearly appreciated!

I will be forever grateful to Drs. MacPhee and Monsen for their outstanding contributions to JPN. I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to have worked with them both. It indeed has been a fortunate experience to work with colleagues for whom I have the highest professional respect.

I am very pleased and honored to announce the appointment of the new JPN Associate Editor, Dr. Angela Green. Dr. Green is the Director of Nursing Research at Arkansas Children's Hospital and holds a faculty appointment in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Nursing. In December 2007, she was installed as the John Boyd Family Endowed Chair in Pediatric Nursing. Dr. Green has more than 20 years of pediatric nursing experience and has worked in a variety of roles including staff nurse, advanced practice nurse, educator, researcher, and administrator. She is passionate about clinical practice and particularly enjoys helping clinical nursing staff use research and evidence-based practice to improve nursing care. In her role as Director of Nursing Research at Arkansas Children's Hospital, she has the great privilege of working with nursing staff on a wide variety of research and evidence-based practice projects. Her own research focuses on quality of life after pediatric heart transplantation, family-centered care, and pain. She has received funding from the National Institute of Nursing Research, the Society of Pediatric Nurses, and the Gamma Xi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International and was the 2007 Southern Nursing Research Society/American Nurses Foundation Grant Scholar.

Dr. Green joined the Journal of Pediatric Nursing Editorial Board in 2008 and has served as an active reviewer for many years. She views her new role as associate editor as an opportunity to serve pediatric nurses and ultimately, the children and families that we serve. She envisions the Journal of Pediatric Nursing as a key driver in the development of evidence-based pediatric nursing practice. In her words, “Research and evidence-based clinical articles in the hands of practicing nurses and frontline leaders are powerful tools for immediate clinical practice change.” I am very excited about the prospects of working with Dr. Green and look forward to continuing with her and the other new members of the editorial team the important work of publishing articles that contribute to the scholarship and science of pediatric nursing practice and care of ill infants, children, adolescents, and their families.

In addition, this 25th year of the Journal of Pediatric Nursing will be marked by the introduction of new columns that address clinical and research topics of interest to the readership. As these columns are introduced, a profile of the members of the editorial team will be presented. These new column editors bring a wealth of expertise and experience that we are confident will result in regularly appearing features of interest to the readership.

Finally, in response to reader requests, a number of stylistic changes will appear soon in upcoming issues to create a more reader-appealing design. Many of these changes will be evident in the next issue with the advent of new columns.