Welcome to the first issue of Johns Hopkins Nursing magazine. A joint effort between the School of Nursing and the Johns Hopkins Nurses’ Alumni Association (JHNAA), the magazine will provide readers with fascinating articles and news about nurses at Johns Hopkins and the work they do. In these pages you will read about students, School of Nursing faculty members, alumni, research being conducted by Hopkins nurses, news from Johns Hopkins Hospital, academic programs at the school, and news about the profession of nursing.
Now, more than ever, people are talking about the nursing profession. The world is in the throes of a nursing shortage that has reached crisis proportions, leaving many of us to wonder: Will there be a nurse for me if I (or my loved ones) become sick or injured? While our new magazine is a publication for and about nurses, we also want it to raise public awareness about the nature of nursing and its far-reaching roles in health care delivery.
Initially, Johns Hopkins Nursing will be published twice a year — in the spring and in the fall. Each issue will have a variety of feature stories, plus news briefs, research news, and stories that celebrate the school’s rich history and tradition. This magazine takes the place of two former publications — the school’s alumni magazine and our school newsletter. I am grateful to members of the JHNAA for embarking on this publishing venture with us. I want to give special thanks to alumna Betty Scher ’50, who gave her time and talent for many years to edit Vigilando, the alumni magazine. We are pleased she will continue to lend her editorial expertise to our new Johns Hopkins Nursing magazine.
Given the current nursing shortage, our nation’s aging population, and numerous other challenges facing the health care professions, we chose bedside nursing as the topic for the cover article of this inaugural issue. Please take some time to read “Bedside Appeal,” the compelling article by Melissa Hendricks about the current state of hospital bedside nursing and what we are doing to encourage nurses and our students to pursue this type of nursing as a destination career.
You will also find an article about one of our newer faculty members, Dr. Daniel Sheridan, and the intriguing field of forensic nursing. Dr. Sheridan is leading the school’s Forensic Nursing program and working in the emergency department at Hopkins Hospital.
In addition to articles about new trends in the profession, we cannot forget the rich legacy of Hopkins Nursing and the alumni who have helped move the profession forward. Each issue will feature a special section called Vigilando, which means “ever watchful,” where you can find alumni class news, a letter from the JHNAA president, photos, and alumni profiles.
I hope you find our new magazine informative and interesting. We want to know what you think. Please send your questions, comments, suggestions or letters to the editor to Kate Pipkin, at 525 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, or e-mail her at [email protected].
Martha N. Hill, PhD, RN, ’64 Dean