The New AJN

"The work that nurses do – the work of caring – has the ability to transform our healthcare system." This belief has guided Diana Mason who, since 1999, has been the editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Nursing (AJN), the oldest and largest nursing journal in the world.

"I want to provide nurses with information that will inform, challenge, and enrich them," says Mason. "I'm frustrated that nursing care is often invisible or taken for granted by the public. I am determined that this caring be made visible."

Art and Research

Having trained with the United States Army Nurse Corps, Mason became a nurse in 1970. "I didn't have nough money to get through school," she recalls, "so my father, with five kids to support, took me down to the recruiting station and told me to sign on the dotted line. Imagining travel and adventure, I did – and spent three years in Fort Dix, New Jersey."

Mason, who holds a PhD in nursing research and theory development, feels that she has prepared for this position her entire career. She has been on the faculty of several universities in New York and New Jersey: Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing, Rutgers University, Lehman College, and New York University. Mason has taught emergency, medical/surgical, and community nursing, as well as professional development courses in leadership, health policy, and research. To take on the challenge of the AJN, she left a tenured position at Pace University in New York City, where she had previously been associate dean of graduate studies.

"My experience has given me an understanding that nurses can and should help shape healthcare into a more compassionate and family-centered system." To provide nurses with the tools needed to bring about such a transformation, Mason revamped the journal. "We reestablished the news department (which covers clinical, professional, and political news), and we now provide much more depth in all our features, particularly the clinical and research features." Mason also departed from tradition by introducing original cover art and new sections such as The Art of Nursing and Viewpoint.

"The Art of Nursing presents original work (art, literature, and poetry) by nurses and others – work that is compelling and broadly linked to healthcare. Response to these features, as well as to the original cover art, has been phenomenal." Mason credits her staff with helping her bring an eclectic, almost literary feel to the journal. "For example, an in-depth clinical piece about overactive bladder is paired with sidebars on Toilet Mapping in Sun City, Arizona and Urinetown, a current Broadway musical. The articles are accessible and colorful; a layperson could read them and learn something of value. In fact, the public should be reading the AJN. We offer a highly readable discussion of signs, symptoms, management, nursing care, and patient education."

A dedicated educator, Mason believes the AJN should be a solid source for nursing information. "Our clinical articles are seriously peer reviewed. Research is subjected to content, statistical, and methodological review." Publishing original research is a particularly satisfying part of the job for Mason. She believes that research conducted by nurses has the potential to change practice. "A piece we published recently reveals that prolonged preoperative fasting persists, despite evidence indicating that it may cause harm. The study has gained extensive media coverage and is being looked at seriously by medical professionals nationwide. Because of this small study, that practice may change. That's what research – and a journal – should do."

Tackling Controversy

Mason also does not shy away from controversy. She takes on tough subjects, subjects that are painful but integral to nursing practice. "A recent Viewpoint piece by Michelle Baqi-Aziz, for example, exposed the prejudice that Muslim nurses face. Subsequent letters were sharply divided and – at times – angry. Issues such as these provoke strong feelings, and some nurses feel these issues are too political. Nurses need to realize, however, that such issues affect them and that hearing both sides of an issue is vital in formulating a response."

Although Mason is originally from Ohio, she and her husband, James Jabbo Ware, a jazz musician and composer, and their dog Billy, make New York City their home. She acknowledges that she has always been outspoken; and, indeed, she seems a quintessential New Yorker now – focused, assertive, and savvy.

"Media presence is huge in New York. I think the radio show, in particular, showed me what is possible in the use of media as a health promotion tool." The show is Healthstyles, a weekly hour she hosts on WBAI-Pacifica Radio. "I consider the radio program my community health practice. We deal with issues that make a difference to the public, such as teaching people how to fill out a healthcare proxy form or select a managed care plan. We were the first media outlet I know of to discuss the politics of AIDS and the resurgence of tuberculosis."

Listening to Nurses

And how has the nursing community responded to the new, improved AJN? "Circulation is up (we expect it to grow from about 332,000 to close to 350,000 this year), renewals are up, and feedback is very positive. We received a Folio: Gold Award for Editorial Excellence in 2001, which is great affirmation. We recently received a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant to fund a two-and-a-half year series on palliative care. It's an exciting time."

As thrilled as she is by the awards, it is the grassroots support that means the most: "I always try to meet with my audience after a presentation. I tour the hospitals in these cities and speak with nursing staff when possible. These nurses know what's really happening out there. My worst nightmare is losing touch with the bedside nurse … I love it when a nurse comes up to me after a presentation and tells me she loves what I'm doing with the journal."

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