There are so many good things happening at the Journal of the Dermatology Nurses' Association (JDNA), and I can't wait to share the news. First, the JDNA has a new publisher. The Journal has benefited immensely over the last few years with Marissa Murray-Harrison as our publisher. Her expertise with publishing has helped the JDNA continue to excel. Especially, her leadership with our Journal during the first several years of the COVID-19 pandemic was instrumental in navigating our continued success. Wolters Kluwer, however, has helped position the Journal for more ongoing success when they appointed John Henry Scott as our new publisher earlier this year.

Mr. Scott has been with Wolters Kluwer since 2019. He manages several journal portfolios in addictions, nutrition, prosthetics, and dermatology. Before Wolters Kluwer, John Henry worked as a journalist covering urban planning, sustainable development, and historic preservation. He is based in Philadelphia, PA, and enjoys reading, writing, and travel. At this point, the initial transition in leadership has occurred, and he is becoming better acquainted with the day-to-day concerns of the JDNA. He has good experience managing journals in similar publishing positions as the JDNA and has solid ideas about how to enhance the JDNA through improved manuscript workflow, content solicitation, and working with nurses to help encourage submissions from this demographic. Please join me in welcoming him to the team.

Second, it is with excitement that I announce the JDNA has received its first impact factor. I have been eagerly waiting to share the news that the JDNA received a 2022 impact factor of 0.4! Although I have known for many months that this might occur, until now, it's been too premature to formally announce. But I am thrilled that now is the right time. In a very generic sense, the impact factor is often used in publishing as one measure of the importance of a journal. As you can imagine, the Dermatology Nurses' Association (DNA) and the JDNA are quite pleased, after 15 years, to have been granted this descriptor.

Awarded by Clarivate (Figure 1), the impact factor is determined through a set of calculations looking at the most commonly cited journal articles for the previous 2 years. There is often misinformation about the meaning and importance of an impact factor, but in general, the higher the number, the better the score. Sharma et al. (2014) state, “Impact factor is commonly used to evaluate the relative importance of a journal within its field and to measure the frequency with which the ‘average article’ in a journal has been cited in a particular time period” (p. 146).

FIGURE 1.:

2023 Clarivate Journal Citation Reports logo.

To give us context, I asked our new publisher to comment on this historic event for the JDNA. Mr. Scott wrote, “Receiving an Impact Factor is a great achievement for the JDNA. The Impact Factor is a measure of average citations to recently published content. Many authors and researchers consider a journal's Impact Factor when deciding where to submit their manuscript, as a higher average citation rate means their work may receive more attention. The validity of the Impact Factor as an indicator of a journal's actual impact on a field of study is up for debate, but the importance placed on it by authors and researchers is undeniable. This means that having an Impact Factor is a significant benefit to a journal's reputation (personal communication, July 10, 2023).”

The JDNA's impact factor for 2022 is 0.4. I wondered where that put us, in relation to other nursing journals and in relation to other dermatology journals. Again, Mr. Scott was able to provide context. Because the JDNA has a new impact factor, it will not get an official ranking until 2024, thereby allowing it to be officially compared with other journals in similar categories. However, if one was to look at unofficial comparisons, he offered reassurance that the JDNA doesn't fall at the bottom of either the dermatology or nursing categories, which is a hopeful start, right? I think this is great news and offers the JDNA an opportunity to continue offering quality, dermatology-nursing-focused articles of importance to both our readers and the larger healthcare community.

If anyone is curious, there were at least 24 journals that frequently cited JDNA articles, and there were several key articles that helped the JDNA get the first impact factor. The top five articles included the following:

Kane, S., & Admani, S. (2021). COVID-19 pandemic leading to the accelerated development of a virtual health model for isotretinoin. Journal of the Dermatology Nurses' Association, 13(1), 54–57. 10.1097/JDN.0000000000000595 Bodán, R. (2020). Reframing the care of children with epidermolysis bullosa through the lens of medical trauma. Journal of the Dermatology Nurses' Association, 12(1), 16–23. 10.1097/JDN.0000000000000514 Thomley, M., Roland, D., Noble, C., Sharma, M., Shipley, S., & Nahar, V. (2021). Skin cancer in skin of color: The importance of expanding education and prevention efforts to include this community. Journal of the Dermatology Nurses' Association, 13(2), 106–109. 10.1097/JDN.0000000000000609 Diesner, K., Stratton, D., Flamm, K., Bouchard, L., & Loescher, L. (2021). Clinical skin examination for melanoma in underserved patients: Educating primary care providers. Journal of the Dermatology Nurses' Association, 13(3), 146–161. 10.1097/JDN.0000000000000621 Matthews, S., Sherman, K., & Chien, A. (2020). Development and implementation of a nurse-led home phototherapy program for challenging chronic skin conditions. Journal of the Dermatology Nurses' Association, 12(4), 157–167. 10.1097/JDN.0000000000000555

Would you consider joining me and taking a look at these articles again? It might be rewarding to reread the articles that helped the JDNA with the first impact factor.

In other news, I have two transitions to announce regarding the composition of the JDNA's Editorial Board. With mixed emotions, we say goodbye to Keischa Cash, a long-standing Board member. The JDNA has benefited from her participation, and we are, of course, sad to see her leave the Editorial Board but understand when she acknowledged the time is right to move on to other pursuits. She will be continuing as a peer reviewer; for that, we continue to be appreciative. In addition, we are happy to have her continue being the DNA board liaison, a position she will continue until February 2024. Again, please join us in wishing her the best during this transition time.

Lauren Bennett, PA-C

In more exciting news, we are enthusiastic and delighted to announce the addition of two new JDNA Editorial Board members, Lauren Bennett and Hailey Land. Lauren Bennett, PA-C (Photo 1), comes highly recommended and brings with her a wealth of dermatology knowledge as well as a passion for writing and publication. She writes, “Throughout my career as a dermatology PA, I have been fortunate to work with so many incredible educators and mentors across the country. They have each inspired me to ask more questions, to learn more, and to continue to improve as a clinician. I have always been passionate about paying that inspiration forward with my students, colleagues, and patients, and am excited for the opportunity to now do so through the JDNA” (personal communication, September 2023).

Hailey Land, RN, BScN

Hailey Land, RN, BScN (Photo 2), is also joining the JDNA's Editorial Board. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and after working for several years honing her sills as a nurse, she has since gone back to medical school. She is a current medical student at the University of Ottawa and is an excellent addition to the JDNA Editorial Board, bringing her nursing experience and knowledge to the Journal. She is looking forward to being on the Editorial Board, stating “I look forward to being able to shed light on a variety of individuals lived experiences that can hopefully shape the way we think about particular aspects of the dermatology field” (personal communication, September 18, 2023).

I know I've written before that the DNA's 42nd Annual Convention is going to be held on March 6–9, 2024, in San Diego, CA. But now, it's getting closer. I am hoping you all had the opportunity to request time off and make travel arrangements and hotel reservations. I am again looking forward to seeing many of you at this annual premier event hosted by the DNA. The annual convention is a time to meet colleagues and make new friends, all while in the setting of a comprehensive continuing education event. In this case, the conference will also hopefully afford us a welcome and warm venue! Please consider coming to participate in this flagship event—we'd love to see you there!

As always, looking forward to hearing from you,

Angela L. Borger
Editor-in-Chief
E-mail: [email protected]

Sharma M., Sarin A., Gupta P., Sachdeva S., Desai A. V. (2014). Journal impact factor: Its use, significance and limitations. World Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 13(2), 146. 10.4103/1450-1147.139151