Abstract
We live in a digital age where information is readily available through our computers, phones, and other devices. As occupational and environmental health nurses, a great deal of our work that used to involve the use of paper is now conducted on a digital platform. It was not that long ago that we documented employee health information in paper charts, but advances in electronic medical record software changed all that. The digital transformation of this process makes our jobs easier and provides individual and aggregated employee health information at our fingertips. Next month, Workplace Health & Safety will be joining this wave by going digital.
In February 2020, Workplace Health & Safety will transition to being online, and the distribution of the printed Journal will cease after the January 2020 issue. Over the past 2 years, the American Association for Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) Board and SAGE Publishing have had numerous discussions about the rising cost of the journal due to a shortage of printing paper and the increase in postage. By going digital, the Journal remains affordable and sustainable to AAOHN members and the larger occupational health and academic community. Furthermore, reducing the use of paper and the process of printing promotes a healthier environment, which is aligned with the AAOHN mission. Paper production contributes to environmental pollution, and makes up one fourth of solid waste landfill sites (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2019a), which results in greenhouse gas emissions (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2019b).
Moving to a digital platform has several advantages for members including being able to receive the latest issue of the Journal as soon as it is available rather than waiting to receive it in the mail. With just a few clicks, you can quickly access the Journal on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. You can also print the articles directly from your computer. In addition, you can sign up for SAGE Email Alerts where you are notified every time a new article is posted in the OnlineFirst feature. You can sign up for SAGE Email Alerts by going to the SAGE website (https://journals.sagepub.com/home/whs).
SAGE Publishing has an ereader option which allows for easy online reading of articles in either PDF, HTML, or EPUB format. The EPUB browser environment is new and provides an enhanced online reading experience compared to PDF, and a cleaner reading experience compared to HTML. It also allows users to read content on a browser without having to download the article or navigate away from the Journals’ website.
With the digital Journal subscription, SAGE also offers a new article sharing feature, which allows you to easily share a read-only link to the article via email or social media. Details about how to easily share articles can be found on the SAGE website (https://journals.sagepub.com/page/article-sharing). Article sharing is a great way to share details with your colleagues and friends who may not have access to the Journal through a society membership or academic affiliation. The article can be viewed by the recipient for up to 90 days in the EPUB browser environment. If the recipient does have access to the Journal, they can also download a PDF of the article.
As you embrace the digital age during your monthly Journal reading experience, please know that at Workplace Health & Safety, we remain committed to providing you with up-to-date content that is applicable to your daily practice as occupational and environmental health nurses. Going digital allows us to remain relevant, as well as sustainable.