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Posts from the ‘Journal Information’ Category

Reflections on experience researching LGBT health


Our current featured article titled “Enhancing our Understanding of Emancipatory Nursing: A Reflection on the Use of Critical Feminist Methodologies” by Judith Ann MacDonnell, PhD, RN, provides a rare glimpse in to the life of a researcher.  Dr. MacDonnell’s reflections are particularly significant given the focus on her scholarship – LGBT health.  Dr. MacDonnell shared this message for ANS readers, addressing how her article emerged, and the importance of this work for nursing education:

In my experience, there are just a few detailed research reflections in the published nursing literature. The idea for writing a reflection on my LGBT- and equity-focused research program came to me as I was going through the tenure process, a time when (it would be fair to

Judith MacDonnell

Judith MacDonnell

say) there’s lots of reflection and writing about what you have done, why you have done it and where you are going.    Using emancipatory nursing as a lens was the opportunity to move beyond this individual focus in an iterative way, situating these experiences in the larger contexts of higher education, the profession and the social landscape, opening space to consider what it might take to build LGBT-focused nursing research.

I expect many of us would agree that a nursing curriculum focus on cultural competence that is inclusive of LGBT issues is crucial.  Another approach to embed LGBT content in the curriculum is to expand nursing students’ exposure to and engagement with diverse critical feminist methodologies and LGBT-focused research in both nursing research and clinical courses at both the undergrad and graduate levels.. Framing in-class or clinical discussions with an emancipatory nursing lens may help broaden students’ understandings of the potential within diverse nursing  roles to identify injustices and take action. Highlighting how dimensions of emancipatory nursing are embedded in such research (e.g., praxis, situated privilege) may spark discussions of nurses’ everyday political practice and opportunities for nurses to open space to challenge heterosexism, biphobia, transphobia (and how they intersect with racialization, ableism, etc.)  in education, administration, direct clinical practice, research or policy arenas.

While this article is featured on the ANS web site, you can download it at not cost!  Take this opportunity to obtain you copy, and return here to share your comments and enter into a discussion about the issues addressed in this article!

New Issue Topic for 2016: Women & Girls!


For everyone whose scholarship addresses health and health care for women and girls – this is for you!  We have just scheduled ANS 39:2 to focus on “Women & Girls!”  The due date for manuscripts is October 15, 2015, so you have ample time to plan your submission for this issue!  Here is the issue description:

Women & Girls
Vol 39:2 –   June 2016
Manuscript Due Date: October 15, 2015

In 2011, the United Nations declared October 11th an annual “International Day of the Girl Child.” We are dedicating the mid-girlchildlogoyear 2016 issue of ANS in anticipation of the October 2016 international observance focusing on girls. We seek manuscripts that address nursing perspectives on health care for girls and women, their families and communities. We welcome research reports that provide evidence for nursing practice, theoretical and philosophic perspectives, or methodologic issues related to investigating health issues and nursing concerns for women and girls. We particularly welcome manuscripts with an international focus.

Visit the ANS web site any time to see all of our projected issue topics – but to save you a an extra web-trip, here is the current list!  

Models of Care for the Future 
Vol 38:2 –   June 2015
Manuscript Due Date: October 15, 2014

As nations worldwide seek to establish models of care that provide quality and efficiency, nurse leaders are emerging to play a significant role in the development of these models. For this issue of ANS we are seeking manuscripts that provide theoretical underpinnings of creative models of care, as well as evidence that supports their implementation. Manuscripts should be clearly grounded in a nursing perspective; the content can include philosophic, theoretic, empirical or ethical aspects related to the model.

Translational Scholarship 
Vol 38:3 –   September 2015
Manuscript Due Date: January 15, 2015

For this issue of ANS we are seeking manuscripts that provide methodologic innovations that bring nursing theory, research and practice together, including translational research, emancipatory and participative approaches. Nursing research reports of studies using these methodologies are welcome, as are manuscripts that provide philosophic, theoretical or methodologic explanations of these approaches to scholarship. Manuscripts should include a strong emphasis on the development of nursing as a discipline.

Veterans Health 
Vol 38:4 –   December 2015
Manuscript Due Date: April 15, 2015

Given recent history of international conflict and violence, the health and well-being of those who have served the military of any country world-wide has become a major challenge that influences the well-being of families, communities and nations. For this issue of ANS we seek manuscripts that address nursing perspectives on health care for veterans, their families and communities. We welcome research reports that provide evidence for nursing practice, theoretical and philosophic perspectives, or methodologic issues related to investigating health issues and nursing concerns for this population.

Technologies, Nursing & Health
Vol 39:1 –   March 2016
Manuscript Due Date: July 15, 2015

Nursing, of necessity, has adapted over the past half century to the burgeoning presence of technology that has been developed for the diagnosis and treatment of sickness and disease. For this issue of ANS we seek scholarly works that extend the critical analysis of technologies from a nursing perspective, and works that provide evidence upon which to build nursing practice in ways that balance the use of appropriate technologies with the person-to-person relationship and caring that is central to nursing practice. We welcome articles that present empirical research, philosophic analyses, and development of theoretical models that inform the appropriate use of technology.

Women & Girls
Vol 39:2 –   June 2016
Manuscript Due Date: October 15, 2015

In 2011, the United Nations declared October 11th an annual “International Day of the Girl Child.” We are dedicating the mid-year 2016 issue of ANS in anticipation of the October 2016 international observance focusing on girls. We seek manuscripts that address nursing perspectives on health care for girls and women, their families and communities. We welcome research reports that provide evidence for nursing practice, theoretical and philosophic perspectives, or methodologic issues related to investigating health issues and nursing concerns for women and girls. We particularly welcome manuscripts with an international focus.

ANS 37:3 – “Health Equities” just released!


The new current issue of ANS is now available online!  This issue, focusing on “Health Equities,” affirms the conviction upon which many nurses historically have built their practice – a conviction that social inequities have profound health consequences. The articles in this issue 37-3 coveradd to a growing body of literature that provides depth and breadth to expand nursing’s disciplinary perspective on social justice as central to our mission. Each article will be featured on the ANS blog over the next several weeks, so watch this blog to learn more about each author’s important work.

Watch for the “Editor’s Pick” on the ANS web site over the next several weeks – each of the articles in this issue will be featured for a couple of weeks.  While each article is featured it will be available for free download!  These articles are all very thought-provoking, and we welcome your responses and comments here on this blog!

Informed Advocacy: An Emancipatory Nursing Perspective


The current ANS featured article is titled “Informed Advocacy: Rural, Remote, and Northern Nursing Praxis.”  In this article, the authors, Karen MacKinnon, PhD, RN; Pertice Moffitt, PhD, RN present present a synthesis of their combined research about nursing practices in Western and Northern Canada. They compared the stories of rural Canadian public health nurses with feminist and critical theoreticalnurse-advocate3_300 perspectives in order to discern evidence of informed advocacy as emancipatory nursing practice. In their conclusion they describe the elements of informed advocacy:

 . . . we learned that the informed advocacy work of rural, remote, and northern nurses includes the following dimensions: (1) ensuring that people’s concerns are heard  (by listening with intention and responding with action), (2) contextualizing practices  (by making visible or using information about the contexts of people’s lives to inform health care decision making), (3) safeguarding  (by ensuring that people remained safe), and (4) addressing systematic health inequities  (by mobilizing local resources and by providing leadership at the health system or health policy level).

We welcome your ideas and responses!  While this article is featured, it is available for free download, so visit the ANS web site now, read the article, and come back here to share your comments!

Issue scheduled on “Technologies, Nursing & Health”


We have just scheduled the issue topic for ANS Volume 39:1 – Technologies, Nursing & Health!  Manuscripts for this issue will be due no later than July 15, 2015, but we accept manuscripts for review before the due date if you want to have some extra time for revisions after the manuscript review process.  Here is the description of what we seek for this issue:

Vol 39:1 – Technologies, Nursing & Health Nursing, of necessity, has adapted over the past half century to the burgeoning presence of technology that has been developed for the diagnosis and treatment of sickness and disease. For this issue of ANS we seek scholarly works that extend the critical analysis of technologies from a nursing perspective, and works that provide evidence upon which to build nursing practice in ways that balance the use of appropriate technologies with the person-to-person relationship and caring that is central to nursing practice. We welcome articles that present empirical research, philosophic analyses, and development of theoretical models that inform the appropriate use of technology. Date manuscripts are due: July 15, 2015

As a reminder, here is the lineup of all of our future topics with manuscript due dates:

Patterns of health behavior
Vol 38:1 –   March 2015
Manuscript Due Date: July 15, 2014

For this issue of ANS we seek manuscripts that focus on nursing perspectives related to specific health behavior patterns (for example fear, hope, despair, uncertainty, inner strength). Manuscripts can be based on empiric evidence related to these patterns as factors in health and illness, conceptual and theoretic developments, or philosophic perspectives grounded in nursing. We particularly welcome articles that provide direction for the development of nursing practice.

Models of Care for the Future
Vol 38:1 –   June 2015
Manuscript Due Date: October 15, 2014

As nations worldwide seek to establish models of care that provide quality and efficiency, nurse leaders are emerging to play a significant role in the development of these models. For this issue of ANS we are seeking manuscripts that provide theoretical underpinnings of creative models of care, as well as evidence that supports their implementation. Manuscripts should be clearly grounded in a nursing perspective; the content can include philosophic, theoretic, empirical or ethical aspects related to the model.

Translational Scholarship
Vol 38:3 –   September 2015
Manuscript Due Date: January 15, 2015

For this issue of ANS we are seeking manuscripts that provide methodologic innovations that bring nursing theory, research and practice together, including translational research, emancipatory and participative approaches. Nursing research reports of studies using these methodologies are welcome, as are manuscripts that provide philosophic, theoretical or methodologic explanations of these approaches to scholarship. Manuscripts should include a strong emphasis on the development of nursing as a discipline.

Veterans Health
Vol 38:4 –   December 2015
Manuscript Due Date: April 15, 2015

Given recent history of international conflict and violence, the health and well-being of those who have served the military of any country world-wide has become a major challenge that influences the well-being of families, communities and nations. For this issue of ANS we seek manuscripts that address nursing perspectives on health care for veterans, their families and communities. We welcome research reports that provide evidence for nursing practice, theoretical and philosophic perspectives, or methodologic issues related to investigating health issues and nursing concerns for this population.

Technologies, Nursing & Health
Vol 39:1 –   March 2016
Manuscript Due Date: July 15, 2015

Nursing, of necessity, has adapted over the past half century to the burgeoning presence of technology that has been developed for the diagnosis and treatment of sickness and disease. For this issue of ANS we seek scholarly works that extend the critical analysis of technologies from a nursing perspective, and works that provide evidence upon which to build nursing practice in ways that balance the use of appropriate technologies with the person-to-person relationship and caring that is central to nursing practice. We welcome articles that present empirical research, philosophic analyses, and development of theoretical models that inform the appropriate use of technology.

Be sure to visit the ANS web site to see our planned issue topics, information for authors, and access to all articles published in ANS since the very first issue in 1978!

ANS 37:2 “Relationships and Health” just published!


The topic of this issue of ANS – Relationships and Health – is central to nursing practice, and yet this vital connection is often taken for granted.37-2 cover Articles in this issue focus on family relationships, philosophic and theoretic foundations of human caring in the nurse-patient relationship, and the complexities of these relationships on health and well-being.

Each article in this issue is featured in our “Editor’s Pick” section of the ANS web site, and while an article is featured, it is available for free download.  It is also featured here, along with a message from the author that provides interesting background about their work.  Watch the web site to see which article is currently featured, and  return to the blog regularly to see messages from the authors!

Here is the Table of Contents for this issue

SmithBattle, Lee; Leonard, Victoria
McKelvey, Michele M.
St-Amant, Oona; Ward-Griffin, Catherine; Brown, Judith Belle; Martin-Matthews, Anne; Sutherland, Nisha; Keefe, Janice; Kerr, Michael S.
Ray, Marilyn A.; Turkel, Marian C.
Wolf, Karen Anne
MacKinnon, Karen; Moffitt, Pertice
Lobar, Sandra L.

Manuscript due date extended for ANS issue on “Post-Hospital Nursing”


Yes, indeed!  If you are close to polishing a manuscript related to the topic of “port-hospital nursing,” you have some time to send it in to be 15684347considered for publication in this issue!  The new due date is May 1, 2014!  Here is the description of this issue:

The period following hospitalization is a critical period in the process of recovery and healing. can be significantly influenced by nursing care in the hospital and in the community. For this issue we seek manuscripts that focus on nursing in post-hospital recovery. We particularly welcome articles that provide evidence on which nursing practice can be designed, as well as philosophic, theoretic, or economic analyses that address issues related to post-hospital recovery and the risk of re-hospitalization.

Nursing can play a significant role in quality of life and care after hospitalization, and this focus is growing as health care practices are changing to support efforts to reduce re-hospitalization!  So if you have something to contribute to this issue, please let us hear from you!!

Issue topic on “Veterans Health” planned for 2015


The ANS schedule for future issue topics now includes the planned topic for Volume 38 No. 4 – “Veterans Health.”  Manuscripts are due for this issue on April 15, 2015.  Here is the description:

Given recent history of international conflict and violence, the health and well-being of those who have served the veterans300military of any country world-wide has become a major challenge that influences the well-being of families, communities and nations. For this issue of ANS we seek manuscripts that address nursing perspectives on health care for veterans, their families and communities. We welcome research reports that provide evidence for nursing practice, theoretical and philosophic perspectives, or methodologic issues related to investigating health issues and nursing concerns for this population.  Date manuscripts are due: April 15, 2015

Be sure to watch our ever-evolving list of future issues!  All of the planned issue topics for which manuscript submissions are open are on the ANS web site, and we will announce new topics here as they appear.  The current list of topics for which manuscript submissions dates are coming up are (click the link for an issue topic to wee the full description):

37:4 – Post-Hospital Nursing – December 2014
Manuscript Due Date – April 15, 2014

38:1 – Patterns of Health Behavior- March 2015
Manuscript Due Date – July 15, 2014

38:2 – Models of Care for the Future- June 2015
Manuscript Due Date – October 15, 2014

38:3 – Translational Scholarship- September 2015
Manuscript Due Date – January 15, 2015

38:4 – Veterans Health- December 2015
Manuscript Due Date – April 15, 2015

New ANS issue released today: Emerging Theories for Practice


The January-March issue of ANS focusing on emerging theories for practice is now available!   Nursing models, theories and philosophic frameworks have been emerging for over 50 years. But they have not always been welcomed as relevant to nursing practice. Part of the disconnect lies in what “theory” is thought to be. My own favorite definition of “theory” is “a vision – a mental construction of what could be in human experience.  In nursing, these mental constructions provide a roadmap, a path to follow in shaping human experience toward wholeness and well-being.  This issue of ANS includes current thinking in nursing that clarifies how and why nursing theories are essential to XLargeThumb.00012272-201401000-00000.CVnursing practice, and articles that illustrate current theoretical developments in nursing.  Most important I believe this issue of ANS points in the direction of meaningful connections between theory, research and practice.

The first article in this issue was published ahead of print, and it is now our first featured article!  The article is titled “Particularizing the General: Sustaining Theoretical Integrity in the Context of an Evidence-Based Practice Agenda” by Sally Thorne, PhD, RN, FAAN, FCAHS and Richard Sawatzky, PhD, RN.  Dr. Thorne and Dr. Sawatzky have extended their discussion of the “evidence” debate with a message for ANS blog readers that we featured in December when it was published ahead of print.

We will be featuring each of the articles over the time that this issue is current, so “follow” this blog to have our blog features with messages from the authors!

Dr. Mona Shattell appointed ANS Associate Editor


We are delighted to announce the appointment of Mona Shattell, PhD, RN, FAAN as Associate Editor of Advances in Nursing Science!  Dr. Shattell has served as a reviewer and member of the Advisory Board for a number of years.  She was the lead author on a study of the ANS peer review process  (which also included the Journal of Holistic Nursing and Issues in Psychiatric Mental Health, the

Mona M. Shattell, PhD,RN,FAAN

Mona M. Shattell, PhD, RN, FAAN

report of which was published in 2010 in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1547-5069.2009.01331.x/abstract) . She has been a member of the International Academy of Nursing Editors (INANE) since 2009, and also serves as Associate Editor of Issues in Mental Health Nursing. Dr. Shattell will be involved in managing the ANS manuscript review process, and will provide editorial leadership shaping the future of the journal.

Dr. Shattel is the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development in the College of Science and Health and is an associate professor in the School of Nursing at DePaul University.  She received a PhD in nursing from the University of Tennessee Knoxville, a Master of Science degree in nursing from Syracuse University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, also from Syracuse University.  Prior to joining the faculty at DePaul University, she taught at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  Dr. Shattell’s clinical specialty is in psychiatric and mental health nursing.  Her research focuses primarily on the mental health of vulnerable populations, therapeutic relationships, acute care psychiatric environments, community mental health, Latinas with depressive symptoms, the mental health and physical health of long-haul truckers, and psychosis.  Dr. Shattell is a regular blogger for The Huffington Post, and the author of more than 95 journal articles and book chapters.