On Others' Shoulders

Abstract

Sir Isaac Newton has been quoted as saying, ‘‘If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.’’ Since this is my first official Editorial for the Journal of Emergency Nursing, I thought I might take this opportunity to acknowledge some of the ‘‘giants’’ and others that I have been allowed to ‘‘stand on.’’ In 1980, I received a call from ENA that my case study about a patient who had taken an overdose of copper sulfate was to be published in the Journal of Emergency Nursing. Dr. Mary Jo McMullen had encouraged me to write and submit this unusual case. Gail Lenehan, the editor of JEN, worked closely with me to get the paper prepared for publication. Once you see your name and the emergency department where you work in print, you begin to wonder whether there are other things to write about and other ways to become involved in emergency nursing. In 1986, I was given the opportunity to write questions for the CEN exam under the direction of Dr. Pamela Stinson Kidd. Pam also offered me an opportunity to write and publish in her book about trauma care. While working on that book, I met Janet Neff who taught me the nuances of good editing, further enhancing lessons that began in high school. (There is truth that some teachers will change your life, particularly ones who spend their