EDITORIAL BOARD OUTLOOK
A Few Minutes With Brigid Gillespie PhD, RN, FACORN
BIOGRAPHY I am currently an associate professor in the National Health and Medical Research Council Centre for Research Excellence in Nursing at Griffith University, Australia. In my research role, I support and mentor clinicians working in the perioperative department and medical-surgical wards at the colocated Gold Coast University Hospital to undertake clinical research. I am leading research in two important clinical areas: compromised skin integrity and patient safety in surgery. Much of my research in the OR has focused on nontechnical skills such as teamwork, communication, leadership, coordination, and situational awareness. I am also involved in the supervision of PhD and master’s degree students in my areas of expertise, contributing to nurturing the next generation of perioperative nurse researchers.
Question: What was your first writing experience and what keeps you going?
Answer: My passion for writing was first inspired by an English teacher who taught me what constitutes good writing from years 9 to 12, and also through reading different genres from literary classics to biographies and historical texts. But it was not until I returned to university study that I realized writing was one of my key strengths. Over the course of my academic career, I have been recognized for my writing and have been awarded various writing awards, including the AORN Journal Writers Contest. One of the most encouraging aspects of writing is the reward of publicationdit is perhaps the greatest accolade that signifies that my work is consequential and has the potential to influence the thinking (and practice) of others.
Question: If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring author, what would you say? Answer: Writing is as much as of art as it is a science. It is developmental, and your style will necessarily change depending on the genre, the target audience, and the main messages you want to convey to readers. The act of writing is often about patience and perseverancedand crafting the “story” takes time.
Question: What is your most significant contribution to the Editorial Board? Answer: I like to think that I make a unique contribution as
an “Aussie” perioperative nurse researcher in relation to offering an international perspective on the issues that shape perioperative nursing.
Question: What perioperative nursing topics are you passionate about and why? Answer: Many of my publications are in the area of patient safety in surgery. Effective communication, teamwork, and other nontechnical skills are at the very heart of safe perioperative practice. Question: How does AORN Journal contribute to perioperative nursing practice? Answer: The AORN Journal represents the vanguard of perioperative publications, with content that informs practice and generates robust discussion and debate within the perioperative community.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aorn.2015.05.010 ª AORN, Inc, 2015
6 j AORN Journal
www.aornjournal.org
A Few Minutes With Brigid Gillespie PhD, RN, FACORN
BIOGRAPHY I am currently an associate professor in the National Health and Medical Research Council Centre for Research Excellence in Nursing at Griffith University, Australia. In my research role, I support and mentor clinicians working in the perioperative department and medical-surgical wards at the colocated Gold Coast University Hospital to undertake clinical research. I am leading research in two important clinical areas: compromised skin integrity and patient safety in surgery. Much of my research in the OR has focused on nontechnical skills such as teamwork, communication, leadership, coordination, and situational awareness. I am also involved in the supervision of PhD and master’s degree students in my areas of expertise, contributing to nurturing the next generation of perioperative nurse researchers.
Question: What was your first writing experience and what keeps you going?
Answer: My passion for writing was first inspired by an English teacher who taught me what constitutes good writing from years 9 to 12, and also through reading different genres from literary classics to biographies and historical texts. But it was not until I returned to university study that I realized writing was one of my key strengths. Over the course of my academic career, I have been recognized for my writing and have been awarded various writing awards, including the AORN Journal Writers Contest. One of the most encouraging aspects of writing is the reward of publicationdit is perhaps the greatest accolade that signifies that my work is consequential and has the potential to influence the thinking (and practice) of others.
Question: If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring author, what would you say? Answer: Writing is as much as of art as it is a science. It is developmental, and your style will necessarily change depending on the genre, the target audience, and the main messages you want to convey to readers. The act of writing is often about patience and perseverancedand crafting the “story” takes time.
Question: What is your most significant contribution to the Editorial Board? Answer: I like to think that I make a unique contribution as
an “Aussie” perioperative nurse researcher in relation to offering an international perspective on the issues that shape perioperative nursing.
Question: What perioperative nursing topics are you passionate about and why? Answer: Many of my publications are in the area of patient safety in surgery. Effective communication, teamwork, and other nontechnical skills are at the very heart of safe perioperative practice. Question: How does AORN Journal contribute to perioperative nursing practice? Answer: The AORN Journal represents the vanguard of perioperative publications, with content that informs practice and generates robust discussion and debate within the perioperative community.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aorn.2015.05.010 ª AORN, Inc, 2015
6 j AORN Journal
www.aornjournal.org
