Nursing - Past Present and Future

With this issue, we begin the third volume of Evidence-Based Nursing (EBN). In this editorial, we describe how the journal is produced, identify the journals from which we abstract the most studies and share the results of a recent subscriber survey. We then update you on new and future developments in the production of EBN.

Steps in creating EBN

EBN shares a similar production process to sibling abstract journals, Evidence-Based Medicine, Evidence-Based Mental Health, and ACP Journal Club. It begins with the meticulous scrutiny of every issue of approximately 140 clinical journals (a complete list appears in each issue of EBN) by research associates, who have extensive research training and experience in information science and clinical epidemiology and biostatistics. After identifying every primary study and systematic review related to prevention or treatment, assessment (screening or diagnosis), prognosis, causation, quality assurance, economics of healthcare programmes or interventions, clinical prediction guides, and qualitative studies, they apply appropriate methodological criteria outlined in the Purpose and Procedure section of each issue. In the next step, each article that “passes” the appraisal is reviewed by the 3 editors to identify those of most relevance to nursing practice. Because we do not have expertise in all areas of nursing, colleagues from around the world help us to determine the relevance of some of the articles. The third step involves the preparation of a structured abstract that summarises the question(s), design, setting, patients, results, and evidence-based conclusions for each of the articles that have been selected for inclusion. In step 4, the associate editors collaborate with the research associate in editing each abstract. We then invite a nurse with expertise in the topic area to write a commentary that discusses whether and how the study results might be implemented in nursing practice. In step 5, the associate editor, through exchanges with the commentator, fine tunes the abstract and commentary. Step 6 brings in the lead author of the paper who reviews the abstract and commentary for accuracy. Before submitting to the publishers, the abstract and commentary are reviewed once more by a research associate, who has not read the original paper, to assess their clarity. The material is then sent to the technical editor in the UK who works closely with the research associates through 3 cycles of typesetting and proofreading before the issue is published. This multistep process relies on the collaboration of numerous individuals from around the world and is crucial to maximise the accuracy and usefulness of the abstract and commentary.

In this special odd job, Jack works as a gift wrapper for needy orphans. Slaving away and nursing paper cuts, Jack is unable to summon any holiday spirit. Knocked unconscious by an errant toy, Jack is visited by the ghosts of Jobs Past, Present, and Future as they try to teach him the true meaning of gainful employment.
Meanwhile, the bruise...

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