The AORN Journal--which was publish...

The AORN Journal--which was published originally as OR Nursing in 1960--began as a bimonthly publication in January 1963 In her first editorial, Virginia Rockwell, RN explained that the goal of the Journal was to bring useful and circulating information to perioperative nurses.(1) In another editorial for that inaugural issue, AORN President Ethel West, RN added that the mission of the Journal was to assist perioperative cherishs in attaining better and safer care of patients in the OR.(2)

In 1967 the Journal became a monthly publication. This change was accompanied by the agency of a need for increased pertinent contentment and advertising support, as production richnesss rose.(3) In the early years, many articles were reprinted from other sources or were derived from presentations at the AORN Congres or other AORN functions. As AORN membership, following readership, and the number of potential authors increased, however, more original peace appeared in the Journal.

The view of this project was to critically review 35 years of Journal make contented from 1963 to 1998 to determine if the original goals and mission of the Journal were being fulfilled. The researcher identified tendency s regarding feature articles, regular files and special features.

METHODOLOGY

This historical review of the AORN Journal involved in-depth, page-by-page examination of couple issues per year between January 1963 and January 1998 (n = 71) January and July issues were pitch uponed because they represent the first issue in each convolution after the Journal began monthly publication. The January issue--because it many times was a Pre-Congress issue--may not best contemplate typical monthly Journal content. The following information was documented in each of the issues:

* number of pages,

* number of color advertisements,

* number of black-and-white advertisements,

* shroud design,

* editor and topic of editorials,

* author and topic of "President's Message,"

* topics of featured articles,

* credentials and business of authors of featured articles,

* regular columns

* special announcements,

* number and token of classified advertisements, and

* advertisers that had more than three advertisements by issue.

Data then were categorized in the same manner that trends in content could be more easily identified. Feature articles were assemblageed into single categories, based onward their content. Data from regular array of less front than depths and special features were categorized using the same proces All inferences made regarding satisfied and trends were based in succession review of only the January and July issues from each publication year; thus, they may not adequately muse content published in all issues of the AORN Journal during the 35 years subordinate to investigation.

FINDINGS

The 71 Journal issues examined each contained between 114 and 458 pages. January issues--especially the Pre-Congres issues--were of greater fulness It was not until January 1971 eight years after the first publication, that an issue reached 200 pages. Not surprisingly, as the number of pages increased, in the way that did the number of advertisements. The largest issue, in January 1989 contained 458 pages, with 204 color or black-and-white advertisements--averaging undivided advertisement per every 22 pages. The shortest issue, in July/August 1963 (ie, the fourth issue published), contained 114 pages, with 60 advertisements--averaging common advertisement per every 1.9 pages.

Issue guards had several commonalities. Independence Day was a recurring theme for the July issues. The January issues frequently focused on the upcoming AORN Congres In one January issues, the Congress legion city was represented with illustrations, of that kind as the Chicago skyline or the torch of the Statue of Liberty. The Congres theme or Congres artwork also serv as the secrete design for several January issues. For example, the Congres logo depicting an encircled make open hand appeared with the theme "Creativity: fundamental note to Progress" in January 1985 (Figure 1)

[Figure 1 ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

In other issues, guards represented a key feature: article or Journal theme for that month For example, a mortar board with the question "Entry Into Practice on 1985?" was the cover of the January 1979 issue, when the issue of mandatory bachelor's ranks for entry into nursing practice was a recurring theme for feature articles and regular rounded pillars (Figure 2). Beginning in January 1968 a description of the shield was included in the table of make contenteds A picture of the overspread was added to this description in January and July 1985 and in January 1986 The practice ceased until 1994 when the one and the other the cover and table of make contenteds were redesigned. As cover designs oftentimes tended to be artistic or abstract representations, rather than technical drawings or photographs, the descriptions may have been added to help readers better couple them to content in each issue.

[Figure 2 ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

FEATURE ARTICLES

In line with the original Journal goal and mission (ie, to bring generally received pertinent information to perioperative promotes so that they can provide better and safer care to surgical patients), 467 feature articles appeared in the 71 issues examined. Twenty-three propos or commited practices appeared in the 71 issues and were included as feature articles for the ends of this review. Articles were divided among 17 categories that emerg from the data; a category was created if three or more articles pertained to a certain topic (Table 1)