In May of this year, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner faculty (NONPF) issued a position statement entitled "The Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree: Entry to Nurse Practitioner Practice by 2025." In its statement, the NONPF authors note they are recognizing "that as the health care delivery system has grown increasingly complex, the role of NPs has evolved. The DNP degree reflects the rigorous education that NPs receive to lead and deliver quality health care" (NONPF, 2018).

What does this mean to nurse practitioners who write, read, and critically review scholarly work that addresses nurse practitioner practice? I think it serves as a fairly potent reminder that as our educational and therefore performance expectations increase, so too does our need to advance the science necessary to make critical decisions and lead change. By creating and sharing evidence and outcomes of our scholarly work, we build the base upon which our unique contributions are both supported and appreciated.

We as nurse practitioners should keep in mind that we have both a daily opportunity and a responsibility to be the standard bearers for insisting on evidence as a rationale for making health care decisions. Regardless of whether you agree with the NONPF position or not, the statement issued by the organization gives us all an additional incentive to pause and consider the ways in which we can ensure that we are staying abreast of the latest science in our career field and to reaffirm our commitment to doing so.

Each issue of JAANP is designed to feature scholarly articles that add depth and breadth to our knowledge base. This month, Holly Fontenot and colleagues discusses the impact of a coordinated interdisciplinary effort to encourage acceptance of the human papillomavirus vaccine by parents of adolescents, thus improving vaccination rates. In an additional study that addresses preventive health, Jennifer Saylor and colleagues present an analysis of national survey data that sheds light on factors associated with diabetes in college students. The authors identified predictors of whether providers educate patients about their risks.

Izabela Kazana and Marcia Pencak Murphy discuss the results of a quality improvement project to implement a walking program in long-term care. This article points out some of the perils and pitfalls of implementing complex clinical projects in the face of organizational change. We gain valuable knowledge from translational science efforts, including those that work and those that are less successful.

Patrick O'Byrne and Jean Jacob present a clinical review of the strengths and weaknesses of the PHQ-9 instrument in screening for depression, with a goal of giving all nurse practitioners a better familiarity with this tool so that they can individualize decisions to use it for patient screening. Courtney S. Davis presents a systematic review of the clinical properties and indications for use of the ultra-long acting insulins. This article is our continuing education feature this month. These topics are relevant to practitioners in many specialty areas.

Takutsubo cardiomyopathy can develop suddenly in any care setting. It is increasingly acknowledged as a serious condition that can be mistaken for a variety of other cardiopulmonary problems. It is the subject of an interesting case study report and clinical discussion by Sara Swenson and colleagues.

This month we also feature a sponsored article that addresses pathophysiology and treatment options for chronic idiopathic constipation. Sponsored articles are requested and financially sponsored by an organization interested in presenting specific clinical content. In addition to the above full length features, our two regular columns are included: AANP Fellows and Unraveling the Genome. I hope you enjoy these contributions to our body of scientific knowledge.

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