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Posts from the ‘Journal News’ Category

Aug 18

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From the Authors: Riegel, Jaarsma & Strömberg


This message inaugurates our new blog feature – messages from the authors of our “Editor’s Picks” articles.  Here is a message from Barbara Riegel, Tiny Jaarsma, Anna Strömberg, authors of the featured article “Middle-Range Theory of self-care of chronic illness”

We are delighted to learn that our article is an Editor’s Pick of the current issue of ANS and provided for free to readers. The preparation of this article is the product of 3 years of collaboration during the time when Barbara Riegel was a Guest Professor at Linköping University in Sweden with Professors Tiny Jaarsma and Anna Strömberg. We brought to this collaboration years of individual research in the area of self-care and a growing recognition that comorbid illness complicates self-care for patients. We realized that  if patients and clinicians could be helped to see similarities in the self-care performed for various diagnoses, they might manage their self-care responsibilities  with more ease. Writing this article helped us integrate our prior research in self-care, our efforts to devise methods of measurement for self-care, and our devotion to teaching the next generation of scientists.

Currently, Anna Strömberg is leading a team primarily made up of faculty from Linköping University writing an article in which the theory is applied to a variety of chronic illnesses. As a team, we are teaching a graduate course on self-care of chronic illness at Linköping University. We have plans to develop a family of instruments that can be used to measure patients’ self-reports of self-care. These efforts should keep us busy for the years ahead.

Tiny Jaarsma, Anna Strömberg, Barbara Riegel,

Tiny Jaarsma, Anna Strömberg & Barbara Riegel

Aug 15

“Editor’s Picks” available now!


We have added a new feature to the ANS web site … Editor’s Picks from the current issue.  The Editor’s Picks will change every couple of weeks, and while an article is featured, it will be available for a free download!  Each week I will post information on this blog about one of the articles on the current “Editor’s Picks” list, giving some background and information about the article that I believe makes the article important for our readers.

Barbara Reigel (University of Pennsylvania), with her colleagues from Sweden Tiny Jaarsma and Anna Strömberg (Linköping University) are the authors of one of our first features, titled “A Middle-Range Theory of Self-Care of Chronic Illness.”  The theory was developed from self-care studies that the authors have conducted in several countries around the world; the article cites the studies so that you can trace the specific evidence on which the theory is based.

The authors address a central concern of nursing practice – the nature of the relationship between a nurse and a patient.  They explain the connection between that relationship and self-care of chronic illness as follows:   “When providers interact with patients their intention is that the partnership they form will motivate patients to engage in self-care that can be incorporated into their lifestyle. It is within this context of a mutually rewarding relationship that the self-care of chronic illness takes place.”

This theory was developed from sound research evidence, and in turn it provides an important resource to guide nursing practice.  It is based on deep analysis and clarification of some of the most persistent challenges that nurses face in building relationships with people living with chronic illness. This article  is an exemplar of one approach to the development of nursing theory that serves to guide nursing practice.

Check out the article now and add your ideas and thoughts about this article by replying to this post!  I look forward to hearing from you!

May 28

Health & Human Rights: A Vital Connection


As is the tradition of ANS, this current issue of the journal contains articles that will quite likely prompt many interesting

April -June 2012

April-June 2012

discussions! The issue of human rights might seem to be primarily one that belongs in the realm of politics and policy, but as the authors of the articles in this issue of ANS  so aptly demonstrate, human rights are invariably linked to health and well-being.  Falk-Rafael and Betker cite a report that says it best: “Social justice is a matter of life and death.”

The connection goes even further to encompass the matter of health and illness.  The article by Lee titled “Family Homelessness Viewed through the Lens of Health and Human Rights” makes this point very clear – their findings support the conclusion that being treated with dignity and respect is vital to health and well-being.

As nurses we face a fundamental challenge that requires honest reflection on what interests we serve not only in health care, but in the larger society.  Florence Nightingale laid a foundation for western nursing as fundamentally serving the best interests of society. By tending to the needs of those who are ill, at risk for illness, vulnerable, or whose well-being is challenged, we also tend to the needs of society.  But as nurses worldwide recognize, our social obligation goes beyond tending to individuals, to also taking bold steps to improve the social conditions under which people live and work and to shape public policy that creates those conditions.

In many countries around the world, the basic human needs and rights of the most vulnerable individuals have been undermined by the greed and desires of the few.  This is an issue that as nurses we cannot ignore if we take our social duty seriously.  It is time to step up to the challenge that faces our communities and nations, and to use our knowledge and our insights to advocate for social justice for all.  Take a look at the complete Table of Contents of this current issue of ANS.  This is the kind of evidence that nurses provide as a framework from which to build strong arguments that shape strong policies in favor of social justice.  Indeed, it is a matter of life and death, of health and illness.

Sep 14

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Reflections on the current issue: Trauma & Stress


The current issue of ANS is now available on our ANS Web site, and it promises to another issue of lasting influence!  If you have not already done so, take a look at the Table of Contents and see for yourself what this issue contains.  We will be featuring each of these articles in the “Featured Articles” section of the web site, and while they are featured you will be able to download them at no cost.  If you are a journal subscriber, you have access to all of the articles in not only this issue, but all issues of ANS published since the beginning in 1978!

Given that ANS articles are unsolicited, we can never predict the content profile of any single issue.  We publish issue topics well in advance of the date by which manuscripts must be submitted to considered for each issue, but we leave the interpretation of issue topics open.  But for this issue of ANS, I anticipated that authors might address two substantive areas – trauma and stress brought about by war, and that brought about by violence in the home.  Indeed, both of these areas of concern appeared in the articles we considered for publication, as well as those that were accepted for publication.

Predominantly, nurse authors represented in this issue Read more

Aug 11

Logo for the International Academy of Nursing Editors

Nursing Journal Editors’ Conference in San Francisco!


Last week was the annual conference of the International Academy of Nursing Journal Editors (INANE) in San Francisco!  You might wonder about the choice of our name! I don’t have an accurate historical account about this, but I do know that this name helps us all to remember theLogo for the International Academy of Nursing Editors pitfall of taking ourselves too seriously!  We are probably one of the most talented and knowledgeable groups of  nurses anywhere, and we remain mindful that we are the keepers of one of the most precious resources of the profession.  Several times during the conference I heard one person after another comment on the awe they felt just being in the company of this group of nursing professionals.  At the same time, each of us realizes that we all face challenges and problems that reduce our daily realities to the mundane/inane.  Each day we ride a roller coaster of concerns that range from such basic details as punctuation, format and style, to concerns of substantive content with life-changing proportion.

I had the honor of hosting the conference along with a dynamic team of other editors and publishers.  We had a record attendance of 135 people from all over the world.  This is a conference where everyone attends every session, despite the temptations that lie beyond the conference venue.  The reason?  Each and every attendee Read more

Aug 1

Beverly Hall's article in ANS

Lasting influence


A few days ago we sent out an email giving the latest ANS ranking of 15th out of 85 nursing journals, with a new 5-year impact factor ranking of 1.587.  Beverly HallBeverly Hall's article in ANS responded with congratulations and a story illustrating the lasting influence of her article published in ANS titled “An Essay on an Authentic Meaning of Medicalization:  The Patient’s Perspective” (2003, Vol 26:1).  Here is what Beverly shared:

I took a copy of my medicalization article in to my physician 3 years ago when I first hooked up with him and asked him to read it. He not only read it, he said it changed his whole way of relating to patients. He mentioned it again a few weeks ago when I went in to see him.  Thanks to Advances for publishing this.

The physician is Alan Weiss, and he also sent me a personal message affirming how significant Beverly’s work has been:

Beverly’s work and meeting her made me rethink how people, in our current medical system, often become not people with certain conditions to address, but become and are related to as their diagnosis by the medical community. And often by others. This can be dehumanizing and certainly not empowering. Beverly is one of those rare examples who refused to let this happen and she is now committed to sharing her experience with others and showing them a way to stay true to themselves while dealing powerfully with their illness.

This account is one of many examples of the lasting influence of what we publish in the journal.  In fact ANS has many articles that are recognized as classic and timely long after the date of publication.  I have identified many of these in the “Classics Collection” that appears on the ANS web site.  There are a number of other Collections that give a listing of significant articles by topic – articles that were published in the first two decades of the journal and that have retained lasting significance.

If you have not yet discovered this treasury of timeless and thought-provoking articles, visit the web site now!  When you find something that is important to you, share it with others.  We cannot imagine how powerful the ideas that speak to us as individuals might be for others as well!

Jun 2

Nursing Editors to meet in San Francisco


In August, the International Academy of Nursing Editors (INANE) is holding our annual conference in San Francisco at the Sir Francis Drake hotel.  Nursing journal editors worldwide attend this conference each year to discuss issues related to publishing nursing literature, to meet with other editors and publishers, and to learn the latest advances in publishing.  Our common focus, regardless of the nature of the various nursing journals, is how to improve the quality of nursing literature and enhance our service to the profession.

This year the conference will be focusing on social networking media, and how new networking tools on the internet can enhance the missions of each of our journals.  If you have been following the latest developments related to ANS, and if you are reading this blog, you will already be aware Read more

May 23

ANS online and on paper: is there a difference?


By now ANS readers are familiar with accessing articles online, either through the ANS web site, or the electronic collection provided by their organization’s library.  The data on usage clearly documents the overwhelming preference that readers have for journal content online.  Since all of the journal content is accessible online, you may not be aware thatLaptops and paper books some of the content of the journal appears only online, and not in ANS on paper!  Regardless of the format on paper or online-only, all articles that appear in ANS have undergone the exact same peer-review scrutiny, and meet the scholarly criteria established for publication in ANS. All articles have also been revised to address issues and suggestions offered by the reviewers, adding substantially to the quality of what you read.

We began including online-only content about 3 years ago.  This has been a tremendous value for the journal, as well as for the discipline.  When a journal is limited to paper only, the result can be a huge back-log of excellent material with long periods of time between submission and actual publication, or a severe limitation in what can be published by the journal, dictated not by Read more

May 16

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April-June issue now available – Practice-Based Evidence


This is a terrific issue of ANS that you will not want to miss!  The Table of Contents is on the ANS web site, where you can go directly to details about each article.  This issue focuses on the topic “Practice-Based Evidence” but also features commentaries about two previously published articles that raised quite a bit of reader response!  These commentaries are available as free downloads in the “Featured Articles” section of the Home Page.

Here is some background on the commentaries.  The article by David Keepnews titled Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health Issues and Nursing: Moving Toward an Agenda is a thoughtful response to the article published last fall in ANS 33:3.  That article, titled Nursing’s Silence on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues: The Need for Emancipatory Efforts is based on an analysis by Eliason, Dibble and DeJoseph examining content in nurse journals with high impact-factor scores.  Their analysis revealed Read more

Apr 17

The Importance of Letters to the Editor


Letters to the Editor are vital in achieving a primary purpose established early in the history of Advances in Nursing Science.  The current issue (Vol. 34:1) contains two letters in response to the article titled “The Politics of Nursing Knowledge and LettersEducation: Critical Pedagogy in the Face of the Militarization of Nursing in the War on Terror.” (Vol. 33:3).  The letters in response to this article are free downloads from the ANS web site.

These letters prompted lively discussion at our annual Advisory Board meeting (November, 2010), and the Board recommended that we invite external reviews of the issues that were raised in the Read more

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