Schmidt_2019

Welcome to the second issue of Volume 2 of Health Education in Practice: Journal of Research for Professional Learning (HEPJ).

This issue spans many facets of health education, from workplace-based skill development to explorations of education in the tertiary education sector at the undergraduate and doctorate levels.

Assisting people with chronic conditions to self-manage remains a priority for those working in community and outpatient settings. Our first paper by Doyle explores the development of generic skills that can enhance self-management skills. Conducted in the United Kingdom using paediatric diabetes as a backdrop, this study openly discussed the struggles of workplace-based learning and the supportive structures required to scaffold this learning. This thought-provoking study challenges our assumptions about the development of generic skills in the workplace.

Our second paper by Dunne et al discusses the development of reflective practice in speech pathology students. Critical reflection is a cornerstone of lifelong learning and this project used both face-to-face and email facilitation to support both the development and maintenance of this valuable skill. This study demonstrated that the development of reflection as a skill does not follow a consistent pattern but varies from individual to individual.

Exploring the differences and value between professional doctorates and traditional PhD curricula, Larmer et al bring forward their experiences of designing and delivering a professional doctorate program with a specific focus on creating workplace change and leadership. This focus on tailoring learning for the workplace allows the professional doctorate to become a vehicle for practice change.

The readership and reach of the journal continues to grow, with latest metrics demonstrating readership from every continent barring Antarctica. The international flavour of this issue is testament to the journal's reach and it is hoped that this will be a trend that continues.

I am delighted to announce that Professor Kichu Nair has been appointed the journal's new Editor-In-Chief. Professor Nair brings significant experience of medical education to the editorial position through his roles as District Medical Director for the Health Education and Training Institute, Director of the Centre for Medical Professional Development, Hunter New England Health Service and Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean with the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Newcastle. We look forward to continued growth and development under Professor Nair's editorial guidance. The journal has also bid farewell to our editorial assistant Jamaica Eisner and I wish to thank her for the development of guidelines and procedures vital to bringing this issue to publication.

Lastly, journal staff would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all the academics, clinicians and educators who volunteered their time to be reviewers for the journal in 2019. We are always looking for reviewers, so if you have an interest in health education you are very welcome to contact journal staff and register your interest.

1 For correspondence: David Schmidt, Journal Manager
Health Education & Training Institute (HETI), Locked Bag 5022, Gladesville NSW 1675, Australia

From the Editor