WHAT A CELEBRATION!
I've just returned from the National Nursing Staff Development Association (NNSDO) convention in Philadelphia, during which the organization celebrated its 20th anniversary, and the Journal for Nurses in Staff Development (JNSD) celebrated its 25th anniversary. From the Opening Session when the Planning Committee members sang a special song written for the anniversary to the anniversary reception featuring the Mummers, the mood was celebratory and infectious. From the participants who had attended many NNSDO conventions to those attending their first, everyone seemed to enjoy the festivities.
And the educational sessions were first rate as usual. The certification review course was popular as always, as were the preconvention workshops on a variety of topics from technology to the fundamentals of staff development practice. A highlight for me was the general session on the new nursing professional development scope and standards to be published by the American Nurses Association. That session, along with the business meeting, served to remind us how far we've come as a specialty area of practice in the last 20 years!
The usual features of a NNSDO convention were not neglected; the exhibit hall was crowded with vendors displaying products and services for the professional development specialist. A cyber cafe allowed participants to keep in touch with work and home via e-mail. The lifestyle exhibits offered tempting treats in the form of jewelry for the fashionistas in the audience. The silent auction featured a variety of items for bidding, and the proceeds were donated to the NNSDO Scholarship Fund.
The editorial board of the journal met at the Lippincott Williams & Wilkins headquarters for the first time. During the meeting, we reviewed plans for the exciting new Web site devoted to JNSD. The Web site will feature many resources for the nursing professional development educator in an easily accessed format. Watch for announcements about the Web site both in the journal and in the NNSDO newsletter, TrendLines.
We also marked the 25th anniversary of the journal with a special reception in the Exhibit Hall the last full day of the convention. We were pleased to have Jenn Brogan, Vice President, Nursing & Health Profession Journals, join us for the celebration and speak on behalf of the publisher, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Several editorial board members also spoke of their roles and the impact the journal has had on their professional lives. It was great to have the exhibitors present as well; many of them also advertise in the journal.
As the founder of NNSDO and JNSD, it was wonderful to be able to participate in the celebration of both entities. I was particularly delighted to spend time with members of the NNSDO Steering Committee, Karen KellyThomas, Sandy Holmes, and Jan Ward. All three have also been editorial board members. And in a final stroke of good fortune, we welcome back Beth Guthy as the publisher of JNSD. Beth is a delight to work with, and we are looking forward to a great year ahead and to the next anniversaries of both NNSDO and JNSD.