Welcome To The International Academy of Nursing Editors Website!

INANE Editors; 2008 Conference, Abano, Italy

History of INANE Shirley A. Smoyak

How INANE began

Nurse editors had attended regular meetings of the National Federation of Nursing Specialty Organizations (precursor of NOLF) and the American Nurses Association, but were excluded from the executive session. Additional meetings where editors gathered were at the annual Colorado Nurses' Association Chatauqua summer conferences held at Vail, Colorado. Some of us were workshop presenters there. But we also met informally as editors at the fountain in the town square and re-iterated the statements made at the ANA meetings. Peg Carnine, from Slack Incorporated, and Claire Fagin were some of those participating in these dialogues. Alice Clarke, editor and publisher of Perspectives in Psychiatric Care and Nursing Forum, also advocated for an organization for editors of nursing publications

The time period was the late 1970s. Thelma Schorr, Editor of the American Journal of Nursing, recalls that in January 1980, at an ANA meeting, editors decided to form their own group. Along with Thelma, there were Ellie Shrader, Mary Larkin, Leah Curtin and Gail Piscarik (now Lenehan). Thelma Schorr then organized the first meeting of the International Academy of Nursing Editors which was held in the summer of 1981 at the Park Sheraton in New York City. The name was chosen to show that we intended to have fun, as well as be serious. The work "nursing" was used instead of "nurses" because some of the editors were not nurses. Lucie Kelly makes note of these beginnings in her book, Dimensions of Profesional Nursing. She served as Editor of Nursing Outlook (1982-1991) and also attended early meetings.

This first meeting had no corporate support. The program consisted of discussions among the editors of their chief concerns, what they hoped their colleagues could offer and how to plan for continuity. Some of the editors met in 1982 in Tel Aviv, Israel, where the International Council of Nurses was meeting.

At the next New York meeting, in 1983, Thelma arranged for a special speaker, William Zinsser, who had just published the second edition of On Writing Well. Subsequent dialogue with him about writing and editing (similarities and differences) served as an energizer for the editors. Among his many pithy comments: "Some editors can also write; some can't. Know who you are".

Meeting sites are determined by a vote of the members present at the meeting. Occasionally there is an expressed sentiment that the decision about the site should involve more editors than those present at the meeting, especially when the meeting is not in the United States.

How are the annual meetings financed

Publishers serve as sponsors for meetings. Academic institutions have shared costs. Although one publishing house or several are the main sponsors, other companies contribute to defray the cost of meals, breaks, receptions and program books.

The editor(s) of the journals/newsletters owned by the publishing house organize a program committee and plan the next meeting. At the conclusion of the meeting, the list of participants is passed to the next sponsor's company. Profits made or money lost in sponsoring a meeting is considered proprietary information.

The future of INANE

Nursing editors and publishers now have a database, managed by Shirley Smoyak (Rutgers University) who edits a Slack, Inc. journal.

Editors use the listserv to post queries to one another or to share information about events and issues.

This website will also serve to provide news and information in an easily accessible way.