The theme of this issue of Creative Nursing, Seeing Beyond Traditional Measurement, was chosen to refute the notion, unfortunately prevalent in health-care research, that the only things that count are things that can be counted. This theme is resonant now because that the knowledge that will enable us to weather the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic will come from public health, a discipline in which success is measured by what doesn’t happen. Measuring what doesn’t happen is a concept that turns “disproving the null hypothesis” on its head—it is a creative, brave, higher-order thinking skill that is non-traditional, counterintuitive, and countercultural. Of course assessment, measurement, and comparison with standards and best practices happen – That’s how we get better. But inspiration and bravery come first. The articles in this issue are all brave, each in their own way. In these articles, physical distance, complexity of concepts, and technological barriers are issues to be acknowledged, addressed, and planned for, not deal-breakers that bring progress and partnership to a halt. In all the ways these articles describe, of caring for those we serve and preparing our future colleagues to do the same, we hold ourselves to high standards. But, to quote our guest editor Cyrus Batheja, “As human beings, rather than human doings, we are part of something bigger than can be measured.”
We look forward to the opportunity to bring the CHCM solutions to your organization.
