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Editorial - July 2009
When the first issue of Nursing Praxis in New Zealand was released in November 1985, I eagerly bought a copy believing, as that first editorial said, that it was an exciting time for nurses in New Zealand and that it was “time for nurses in New Zealand to add to the literature” as we had “major contributions to make to the health care of people in New Zealand and elsewhere” (Perry, 1985, p. 2). I believed it was important that we shared our ideas and concerns, that we debated our important issues, and that we did this through the literature so that we did not keep ‘reinventing the wheel’. I was impressed by the exciting developments and the quality of practice I saw in different areas of nursing and it seemed timely that New Zealand had its own nursing journal that talked of who we were and what we were doing. Having our own peer-reviewed academic journal seemed to signal a
‘coming of age’ for nursing in New Zealand.
When, a few years later, it appeared that the journal may fold unless more people were willing to assist, it was inevitable that I would put my hand up to help and become involved in the Editorial Board. I believed strongly in the importance of the journal and its purpose of fostering scholarship to improve nursing practice. That belief hasn’t changed as the years have flown by. I date my time with the journal by the age of my son, because I carried him as a baby in his car seat to many of those first meetings. He is now 6’ 4” and getting close to leaving home so it seems timely that I am now stepping down as Editor. Like many nursing projects, the voluntary work was done in personal and family time, and I am grateful for the understanding of my family, who have accepted “Praxis” as a rather demanding family member.
From those early heady days, the belief was that as nursing moved to a degree as the standard for entry to practice, the numbers of nurses doing post-graduate studies would increase and there would be an exponential increase in nurses writing for publication. But this hasn’t happened. Indeed, there seems less inclination to write or publish amongst nurses than there was 15 years ago. So why is this the case? The common answer is that nurses are too busy. Certainly life generally seems busier with many options competing for our time. One could also argue that there is now a greater emphasis on doing what pleases us, that society has become more selfish with less importance being given to the ‘greater good’. Alongside this are the economic and societal expectations that see most nurses juggling the demands of paid employment, family and on-going study. While the numbers of nurses undertaking post-graduate study has increased, this has become a demand undertaken on top of everything else, with few nurses afforded the luxury of being a full-time student. Instead of having time to reflect on practice, or think and write, the focus of post-graduate study now seems to be on ‘get the qualification, tick the box’.
While I accept that nurses lives are busy and full of competing demands, my fear is that either many nurses have lost the belief that writing is important or that it has dropped so far down the priority list that many nurses just never consider writing for publication a priority at all. Certainly submissions are at an all time low for “Praxis” and I note that other journals internationally are reporting reduced submission rates. Post-graduate assignments and thesis work sit gathering dust having never had their gems shared through the literature. Practice innovations go unreported and without critique. But what are the answers? I would argue that we need to change our culture from one obsessed with being busy, to one that gets excited about nursing literature and the potential of scholarship to improve practice. We need to celebrate and applaud those who write and publish, and we need to nurture and encourage young nurses by making it an expectation, rather than an option. Most importantly writing for publication needs to become the domain of those in practice, and not just those in academia. Of course writing an article and putting it up to your peers for critique is hard work and threatening, but it can also be rewarding and a great learning experience.
New Zealand needs its own peer-reviewed nursing journal. The journey of cultural safety and the development of Nurse Practitioners in this country, both of which have been told through the pages of “Praxis”, are examples of practice that could only appropriately unfold in a New Zealand-based publication. Nursing practice cannot be decontextualised and nursing literature is best understood within its own context. The announcement that the New Zealand Nurses’ Organisation (NZNO) is planning to launch an annual peer-reviewed publication called Kai Tiaki Nursing Research supports the desire for our own New Zealand-based publications. Previous journals, such as Vision, have made a great contribution to New Zealand nursing literature. However, the pressures inherent in the current PBRF rating system (Smith, 2006), continue to work against the survival of multiple publications in this country. Individuals and the profession need to continually argue for the recognition of a balanced publication portfolio for academics.
The opportunity of a new Editor-in-Chief is not only a time of reflection but also a time to look forward. Next year will see the 25th anniversary of “Praxis”, which is testament to both the contribution of the journal and the hard work of many people. I encourage all our readers to take note of the advertisement within the journal for a new Editor and to consider encouraging and supporting the best people to apply. I am proud to own the first issue of “Praxis” and I believe the journal is as important today for nursing in New Zealand as it was in 1985, so I look forward to reading the commemorative 50 year issue.
Tina Smith RN, MN
Editor
References
Perry, J. (1985). Editorial. Nursing Praxis in New Zealand, 1(1), 2.
Smith, T. (2006). Editorial. Nursing Praxis in New Zealand, 22(1), 2-5.
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