Almost 4 decades ago, I was asked by my unit head nurse to provide a management "in-service" class for all of us who rotated as shift charge nurses. I knew that I didn't have the expertise to teach my colleagues. (I was pretty green myself and new to the charge nurse role.) So, I did what has become a career-long habit. I went looking for guidance from those who were wiser and more experienced than I. At that time, this included a search of the literature in the hospital's library. (This was before the Internet, after all!)
Most of the resources there were devoted to the medical profession. However, among the few nursing journals and articles, I discovered a wonderful new publication. It was called Nursing Administration Quarterly (NAQ), and while it appeared to be intended for an executive-level leader, I was enthralled. Here were articles by leaders I had heard about from my university professors. The executive-level subjects were intriguing, even to this novice frontline leader. They inspired and educated me on the nursing specialty I would eventually embrace as my own: Nursing Management.
I never imagined that one day my nursing journalism mentor would be Barbara Brown, the first editor of NAQ. I certainly did not conceive of a future where I would be honored to serve as the second editor. Like most of my peers, I feel blessed to be a part of this wonderful profession, and it has taken me places I never envisioned. Every adventure, from staff nurse to middle management to the executive suite to the world of writing and editing, has been a privilege. As this edition goes to print, I've experienced another treat. I got to interview Barbara, who established, launched, and led this journal for most of the 40 years of publishing that we are celebrating.
One of Barbara's stories is about how early publishers doubted there were enough subjects for nurses in administrative practice to support an ongoing journal. Yet, here we are, with NAQ celebrating its 40th birthday! Some of our readers are younger than this publication. Others, like me, have read it for most, if not all, of our careers. I think that is a testament for how far we have come in recognizing the unique and important role of those who specialize in supervising, managing, and leading others.
For this first edition of 2016, we selected the topic of patient care models. Past quarterly collections also covered promising new care models, as well as other topics revisited throughout the years. In fact, a perusal of NAQ archives provides an excellent depiction of the ever-changing and growing science of nursing administration. Guest editors Donna Gage and Tim Porter-O'Grady have put together a compilation of articles about emerging models that support the health care system of the next era. What struck me about the manuscripts submitted for this topic was that we continue to evolve, for the benefit of the individuals, communities, and populations we serve.
NAQ will be celebrating this milestone all year. Thank you for being our readers, for celebrating with us, and as always....
Thank you for choosing to lead.
-Kathleen D. Sanford, DBA, RN, FACHE, FAAN
Editor-in-Chief
Nursing Administration Quarterly