2020 International Year of the Nurse and Midwife and the 30th Anniversary of the Society of Pediatric Nurses

Abstract

This year, 2020 has been proclaimed as the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife by the global organizations of the World Health Organization (WHO), International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), International Council of Nurses (ICN), Nursing Now and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Here in the United States, the ANA Enterprise composed of the American Nurses Association (ANA) (Grant, 2019Grant E.J. ANA Enterprise Gears Up for Global ‘Year of The Nurse’ In 2020.https://www.nursingworld.org/news/news-releases/2019-news-releases/ana-enterprise-gears-up-for-global-year-of-the-nurse-in-2020/Date: 2019, November 7Google Scholar), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the American Nurses Foundation (ANF) will celebrate and showcase nursing’s contributions to health and well-being of the public. The designation of the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife will also create opportunities to better inform the public of the contemporary roles and positions nurses have in today’s health care. As ANA President Ernest J. Grant stated, “Despite the major role nurses play in health care delivery and community outreach, there are opportunities to increase understanding of the value of nursing in order to expand investment in education, practice and research, as well as increase the numbers of nurses who serve in leadership positions.” (2019, para 3). In recognition of the contributions of nurses, public events will be held throughout the year here in the US and worldwide. For example, this year, National Nurses Week will be extended for the entire month of May. The WHO proclamation of the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife coincides with the celebration of Florence Nightingale's 200th birthday. The achievements and contributions of nurses will be featured throughout the year in all forms of media nationally and internationally. Readers are encouraged to access the following websites for additional information below. World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/campaigns/year-of-the-nurse-and-the-midwife-2020 ANA Enterprise: https://pages.nursingworld.org/yearofthenurse?_ga=2.49846374.1373187087.1579530650-1547918676.1553716300 Another landmark of importance to acknowledge is the 30th year anniversary of the establishment of the Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN). The founding of SPN marked a significant developmental milestone in the field of practice and research of pediatric nursing. At this year’s SPN annual conference, several of the Past Presidents of SPN will be speaking at the plenary session entitled, Plenary Session: Pediatric Nursing: A History of Excellence in the Care of Children and Families. For those of you attending the SPN conference this year, this is a session worth your while to attend; for others of you unable to attend, the link to the SPN website page, provides information about its history and mission. Society of Pediatric Nurses: http://www.pedsnurses.org/page/about-spn This year with JPN, it is planned to feature the contributions of the pediatric nursing profession that have improved and will continue to improve the health care of infants, children, adolescents, young adults and their families. Several JPN editorials will feature topics of achievements in pediatric nursing as well as highlight the contributions of notable leaders in the field. Lastly, we are very pleased to announce the appointment of Rachel DiFazio, PhD, RN, PPCNP-BC, FAAN, as an Associate Editor. Dr. DiFazio joins the editorial team that include Dr. Peggy Slota and Dr. Mary France Pate. Dr. DiFazio is a nurse scientist in the Orthopedic Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. She holds appointments as an Instructor of Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School and is a Visiting Scholar at Boston College. Before becoming an Associate Editor, she was a reviewer, editorial board member, and Guest Editor for JPN. Her clinical expertise and research have focused on children with severe, chronic disabilities and their families. Her research has evaluated the impact of surgery on caregiver perceptions of their child’s health-related quality of life, caregiver burden, functional status, post-operative complications, and other facets of recovery. Her findings have encouraged providers and families to carefully consider the risks and benefits of surgery. For more than two decades, she has advocated for nursing education and scholarship in Russia. Most recently, she has been working with Japanese nurses to improve care for children with cerebral palsy following complex orthopedic surgical procedures. She is also part of a research team evaluating outcomes in children with cerebral palsy living in Japan. Dr. DiFazio is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. She has received numerous awards for her research, advancements in clinical practice, and international advocacy. She is committed to helping prepare future generations of nurses and championing evidence-based patient care. We welcome Dr. DiFazio to JPN in her new role.