Editorial

How You Can Maximize YourMembership!

As I was preparing my presidential address for the 22nd

annual conference, I began to think about how much

I have benefitted from the organization. There are op-portunities for everyone. These opportunities can be

large or small, and can require a little amount of time

or a longer commitment. I would suggest that you

not hesitate to volunteer in some way.

Shortly after I joined the organization, I was asked

to be a co-chair of the Role Delineation Taskforce and

the Core Curriculum. This resulted in completing

a role delineation study, which was used for the firstpain certification examination. I was able to publish

the results in Pain Management Nursing, as well as

present the results at the next convention. This in-

volvement led me to the American Nurses’ Credential-

ing Center (ANCC), where I have contributed to 3

more role delineation studies and 2 forms of the exam-

ination, and we are embarking on another revision of

the examination this November.Along the way with my collaboration with ANCC,

I attended an itemwriting workshop. This is an academi-

cian’s dream, becausewe are always reviewing and revis-

ing examinations. I still serve on the Content Expert

Panel today. It has been a very rewarding experience.

In 1999, when the society first developed plans for

the journal, I was among the first to volunteer as a re-

viewer. The first issue published in March 2000, andthe first editorial, written by Christine Miaskowski

(2000), listed a few benefits of publication: name recog-

nition, name published in the journal, an opportunity to

change practice, and opportunities to contribute to the

growth and development of the profession. These

Pain Management Nursing, Vol 13,

opportunities continue to be part of the involvement

in the society and the journal. I was fortunate to be

offered the interim editorship in 2005, and in 2006,I was appointed the official editor. The journal has

grown quite a bit since then, with many more editors.

We have seen the impressive first and second impact

factor numbers of 1.039 (2010) and 1.145 (2011).

Other opportunities abound for all members. In

the past 11 years, many guidelines have been devel-

oped by the organization, presented at conferences,

and published in our journal. A quick look at theASPMN website shows 18 published guidelines.

Some of these have been developed in conjunction

with other nursing organizations and co-published.

Here is the chance to contribute to the growth and de-

velopment of our profession!

Members of ASPMN have the benefit of the special

interest group listserv, which is available on the Amer-

ican Pain Society website. At this website you can findanswers to practice questions, find a job, ask for policy

and procedures from others in the organization, —and

it is FREE!

I would encourage all members to get involved in

some way. You can organize a local meeting, volunteer

to be a moderator at the convention, run for office at

the local or national level, and take advantage of other

opportunities. Every member should be a visible PainManagement Nurse!

Joyce S. Willens, PhD, RN, BC

College of Nursing, Villanova University

Villanova, Pennsylvania

REFERENCE

Miaskowski, C. (2000). Of printing presses, publications,

and pain. Pain Management Nursing, 1(1), 1–2.

� 2012 by the American Society for Pain Management Nursing

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2012.10.001

No 4 (December), 2012: p 185