Healing Hands; Hostile Work Environments

When thinking about excellent care, how we care for each other matters as much as how we care for our patients. For several reasons, I am excited to bring you this current edition of the Journal of Nursing Science and Professional Practice (JNSPP). First, because it means that we have well and truly crossed the 1-year anniversary. This is significant because not that long ago, the prospect of even launching a journal seemed so remote. Second, we have established a credible platform for the publication of research from within the Gulf Region and beyond, enabling previously unheard voices, to contribute to nursing and midwifery knowledge and to the global discourse on significant issues within these professions. Further, we know from our readers that they are reflecting on and using some of the findings in their quest for nursing excellence. However, nursing excellence isn’t just about clinical skills – it is intrinsically tied to the culture of respect and support within the profession. We know that a healthy, positive work environment improves collaboration, reduces stress, and ultimately leads to better patient care. When nurses uplift each other, they create a workplace where compassion thrives, not just for patients but for colleagues as well. In fact, healthy work environments focus on optimizing health and wellness to achieve the best outcomes for all stakeholders – nurses, patients, organizations, and the wider society.[1] While we continue to advocate for nurses to be treated by others with dignity and respect, to be safe in our practice, for fair remuneration, and access to education, development, and career progression, we also need to address the elephant in the room - incivility among nurses. This is our business and is consistent with the JNSPP values of transparency and boldness. This is why we commissioned this issue’s guest contributor (Teresa Bissen) to write this two-part series on the subject. Teresa is an experienced nurse executive who has spent much of her professional career researching nurse incivility and we are honored to share her knowledge and perspective with you. Equally importantly in this issue, we focus on the evolving perceptions of the nursing profession and on the lifestyle factors that impact patients undergoing hemodialysis. Learning lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic, there is invaluable research demonstrating innovation related to the protection of Nurses and service users in pandemic situations. Echoing some of the themes of the guest editorial, the literature on the importance of addressing nurses’ mental health and well-being is also reviewed. And… we have our very first Letter-to-the-Editor. This is a source of joy because this demonstrates that you are reading the JNSPP. I am grateful to this issue’s authors and to the many researchers, academics, and practitioners who continue to submit their scholarly work for publication. As ever, I invite you to read, digest, and share and use the findings in the context of your own practice. Consider submitting a manuscript for publication and share your feedback with us. Above all, take good care of yourselves and each other.