ANS: Advances in Nursing Science Blog

Upcoming Special Issue – Oct-Dec 2025!

Advances in Nursing Science is pleased to announce an upcoming special issue that invites a conversation between the past and future of nursing science. Issue 48(4) will bring together contributions from members of the ANS advisory board, offering fresh perspectives on seminal articles and influential ideas that have shaped the field over the past five decades.

This issue is anchored by two themes, “What is Nursing Science?” and “Social Justice and Nursing Science,” and will revisit articles that examine social, political, ontological and epistemological questions at the heart of the discipline. These articles ask how nurses understand their roles in a changing world, and how our core commitments, knowledge and capacity to effect change continue to evolve.

Even as the political, social and scientific landscapes continue to shift, the questions that shaped the field’s early development remain deeply relevant, calling for renewed reflection.

While reviewing the journal’s archives in preparation for this issue, we came across an unpublished editorial by founding Editor (now Emerita) Dr. Peggy Chinn. Written more than a decade ago, it reads as if it could have been written today:

“As a discipline, we stand in a particularly key place and time to focus on scholarship that is both high in scientific merit and creative – worldwide there are major changes underway in healthcare systems, and the boundaries of science are expanding like never before. Nurses have a long and valuable tradition of challenging the status quo in our quest for better care for those we serve, and in our quest for a more inclusive and wholistic approach to human health and illness.”

Times change, but the heart of nursing science endures. We look forward to sharing this special issue with you.

Hot off the Press – ANS 48:2 – April-June 2025

The latest issue of ANS is now available to view on the ANS Website! In Dr Eun Ok Im’s editorial for this issue, she discusses the impending impacts of the recent drastic changes to the National Institute of Health (NIH), and particularly the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). She states clearly and unequivocally, “In this shifting landscape, one thing clear is that nursing researchers need to maintain their social responsibilities, which would be essential for nursing discipline as a whole and specifically for nursing knowledge generation. The roles of sociopolitical knowing during the process would be very important.”

Here are the articles in this issue:

The Health and Health-Related Quality of Life Impacts of Having a Sibling on Probation or Parole in the United States: A Focused Ethnography

Hutson, Tara; Heitkemper, Elizabeth; Hecht, Jonathan D.; Shlafer, Rebecca; and Thurman, Whitney

Themes of Liminality: Stories From Cancer Family Caregiver Narratives

Weiss, Charlotte R.; Johnson-Koenke, Rachel; Reed, Sean M.; Willis, Danny G.; Sousa, Karen

Caring to the End: An Empirical Application of Swanson’s Caring Theory to End-of-Life Care

Gilbert, Rachel; Lillekroken, Daniela

Construction of a Theoretical Model of Chronic Disease Self-Management: Self-Management Within a Syndemic

Zuñiga, Julie; Thurman, Whitney; West Ohueri, Chelsi; Cho, Emma; Chineyemba, Praise; Martin, C. Andrew; Mathews, William Christopher; Christopoulos, Katerina; Davy-Mendez, Thibaut; García, Alexandra A.

Factors Affecting Retention Intention Among Married Nurses With Preschool-Aged Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

Shin, Hyeseon; Jo, Minjeong

International Section Nursing Philosophy and Theory in Japan: Current Trends and Challenges

Sakashita, Reiko; Awamura, Kenji; Ono, Hiroshi

An Integrative Review of the Use of the Individual and Family Self-Management Theory in Research

Bauer, Wendy S.; Schiffman, Rachel F.; Ellis, Julie L.; Erickson, Jeanne M.; Polfuss, Michele; Taani, Murad H.; Sawin, Kathleen J.

Rationale for Nurse Underreporting of Workplace Violence: A Qualitative Systematic Review

Zhao, Zhijiao; Gao, Yingli; Liang, Xifeng; Pang, Li; Wang, Lan; Shi, Zhongli

 Visions

Scholarship of Rogerian Nursing Science

The Interdependent Relationship Between Philosophical and Practical Knowing in Rogers’ Science of Unitary Human Beings

Alligood, Martha Raile; Fawcett, Jacqueline

“International Section” in ANS!

Under the leadership of ANS Editor Eun-Ok Im, each issue of ANS now includes an International section – articles authored by nurse scholars from around the world. In the Jan-Mar 2025 issue, the international article is titled “Essential Competencies in Nursing Leadership From Asian Leaders’ Perspectives” – authored by Hsiu-Min Tsai, PhD, RN (Taiwan); Reiko Sakashita, PhD, RN (Japan); Hsiu-Hung Wang,PhD,RN (Taiwan); Ching-Min Chen,PhD,RN (Taiwan); Hae-Won Kim,PhD,RN (South Korea); Eui-Geum Oh,PhD,RN (South Korea); Eun-Ok Im, PhD,MPH,RN,CNS (USA).

Recognizing that leadership competencies differ in different countries and cultures, seven nurse leaders from four different Asian countries started conversations focused on the leadership competencies in their cultures, contrasted with the leadership competencies that appear in western-centric literature. Their discussions revealed four themes related to the leadership competencies from Asian perspectives: “harmony,” “visionary,” “political activism,” and “good character.” In this article, they discuss the meaning of each of these competencies, and provide specific examples of successful leadership practices from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. Their analysis provides practical insights into how cultural values shape leadership in nursing.

Visit the ANS website today for more information about this interesting article! I believe it has the potential to influence major changes in nursing leadership everywhere!

ANS Features Continuing Education “Opportunities in each Issue!

Each issue of ANS provides an article that is available for Professional Development (Continuing Education) credits! The current “continuing education” article is particularly timely, given the discord that many communities are facing because of political and social controversies realted to health equity. But regardless of these current circumstances, as nurses and healthcare providers, we have a professional mandate to assure that all people have the health care they need. In the January-March 2025 issue, the continuing education article is titled “From Subversion to Hard-Wiring Equity: A Discourse Analysis of Nurses’ Equity-Promoting Practices in Emergency Departments” authored by Allie Slemon, PhD, RN; Vicky Bungay, PhD, RN; Colleen Varcoe, PhD, RN; Amélie Blanchet Garneau, PhD, RN. In this article the authors exam the structures in emergency departments that constrain equity, and actions that nurses engage in equity-promoting practices despite these constraints, and examine ways to support nurses in promoting equity in these contexts. The continuing education test for this article, and other “CE” articles can be found on the Nursing Center “CE Connection”

This is an important article for all nurses – whether you are interested in continuing education credit or not! Visit the ANS website today to explore more about this issue, and the continuing education opportunities offered in the journal.

Call for Papers for Special Issue

Topic: Evolutions in Theory for Nursing Science

Theory provides the substance of the discipline and is vital for the development of nursing knowledge. It provides a structured framework to guide variable selection, formulate hypotheses, design methodologically sound studies, and facilitate the interpretation and application of findings into practice. Importantly, theory-driven research contributes to the development of new nursing knowledge and the refinement of existing theories, ultimately advancing the field and improving practice.

ANS is planning a special issue in May/June 2026 to highlight and/or challenge the status quo of theory in nursing research. We are interested in topics related to: 

• Opportunities in the application of theory in nursing science
• Contemporary midrange and situation specific theories
• Philosophical and theoretical discourses in the interdisciplinary contexts of nursing    
• Theorizing social justice in nursing science
• Building connections between theory, research and practice    

The guest editors are Danny Willis, DNS, R.N., PMHCNS-BC, FAAN, Dean of The University of Rhode Island College of Nursing and Sharron Docherty, PhD, PNP, FAAN, Vice Dean for Research, Duke University School of Nursing.

Timeline

• Manuscript Due Date: November 1, 2025 
• Manuscripts Final Acceptance: March 10, 2026
• Publication:    May/June 2026

New ANS Collection Featuring International Nursing Scholarship

ANS has initiated a new section in each issue of the journal, featuring nursing scholarship by international authors! This feature started in July-September, 2024 under the leadership of Editor Eun-Ok Im, with the article titled Current Status of Translational Science in Nursing Across Four Countries. This article is authored by Hsui-Min Tsai, PhD, RN, FAAN; Hsiu-Hung Wang, PhD, RN, FAAN; Reiko Sakashita, PhD, RN, FAAN; Eui Geum Oh, PhD, RN, FAAN; Ching-Min Chen, RN, DNS, FAAN; Eun-Ok Im, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN. In this article, the authors stress the importance of nursing research in providing the evidence that is foundational for excellence in nursing, and for promoting health in each of the countries.

In the October-December 2024 issue, the International article is titled Exploring Research Trends on Digital Health in Nursing Science in Korea: A Topic Modeling Approach authored by Hae Won Kim, PhD, RN; JiYeon Choi, PhD, RN, ATSF; Ji-Su Kim, PhD, RN; and Youn-Jung Son, PhD, RN, CCAPN. Their research revealed four topics that have focused on the use of digital technologies: hospital-based nursing practice, health education, support for self-management of chronic conditions, and nursing education. Their analysis revealed trends, current issues, and gaps in current digital health nursing research.

The January-March 2025 issue features the international article titled Essential Competencies in Nursing Leadership From Asian Leaders’ Perspectives, authored by Hsiu-Min Tsai, PhD, RN; Reiko Sakashita, PhD, RN; Hsiu-Hung Wang, PhD, RN; Ching-Min Chen, PhD, RN; Hae-Won Kim, PhD, RN; Eui-Geum Oh, PhD, RN; and Eun-Ok Im, PhD, MPH, RN, CNS. Here the authors discuss the fact that current literature on leadership in nursing draws on western perspectives and models, and how these perspectives are limited in addressing the contexts of globalization of the nursing profession. Their analysis of Asian nurse leaders perspectives revealed four essential compentencies for nurse leaders: harmony, visionary, political activism, and good character. They stress the importance of developing globally inclusive models of nursing leadership

Watch for future articles in the “International Section” of each ANS issue! These will also be available in a new “Collection” of International Articles on the ANS website, with direct links to each article in this section!

Nursology.net: Premier Resource for Nursing Knowledge

The Nursology.net website, which has become a world-wide signature website for nursing, provides indispensable resources related to nursing knowledge, as well as inspiration for the development of new knowledge that meets the evolving health needs of populations world-wide.

The site has over seven thousand visitors every week, coming from countries all over the world! In addition to the gallery of nursing Theories and models, the site features information related to all nursing patterns of knowing and philosophies, resources related to the development of nursing knowledge, historical events and achievements in the area of nursing knowledge development, and exemplars of the application of nursing theory in guiding practice, research, education, health policy, and quality improvement. The site provides notices of future events sponsored by nursing theory-focused groups and similar opportunities for networking with other scholars.

A prime feature of the site is the blog, providing a post at least once a week, reaturing the voices of students, early career scholars, established theorists, practitioners, and and nursing leaders. The recent blog post authors illustrate the diversity of perspectives that the blog offers:

• Marsha Fowler, author of the ground-breaking book  Nursing Ethics, 1880s to the Present: An Archeology of Lost Wisdom and Identity, shared her experience surviving the Altadena wildfire in Los Angeles, and the centrality of nurses in her experience.
• Fateimah Ahmed Hakami, from Saudi Arabia and currently a doctoral student in nursing, writes about the power of nursing autonomy and calls on all nurses to claim our right to be empowered. She refers readers to the many theories that underpin autonomous practice, like Patricia Benner’s “Novice to Expert” model —a classic in understanding the evolution of nursing expertise.
• Nurse scholars John Nelson, Dan Pesut, and Connie Delaney share a tribute to their late colleague, Marie Ellen Manthey, who passed away in December 2024. Marie Manthey pioneered the prmary nursing model of care based on the  Relationship Based Care framework.
• Thelma Ogochukwu Ejimofor is a PhD nursing student at Johns Hopkins University, addresses the crisis in African immigrant youth mental health through the lens of Madeleine Leininger’s Culture Care Theory

Program for 2025 Virtual Nursology Theory Week (VNTW)!

There are three plenary sessions for the annual Virtual Nursology Theory Week (VNTW), which this year will be held on March 20-24. This year’s conference theme, Honoring Our Past and Moving Forward: Decolonizing Nursing Knowledge, reflects our commitment to embracing our history while forging a path toward a progressive and inclusive future in nursing. The inspiration of the conference theme is based on Iheduru-Anderson and Waite’s paper published in 2024 (free to download through Feburary-March 2025) –

Iheduru-Anderson, Kechi, & Waite, Roberta. (2024). Decolonizing nursing education: Reflecting on Paulo Freire’s pedagogy of the oppressed. Nursing Outlook,  72(4).  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102183 (free to download Feb-Mar 2025)

The conference will open on March 20th with Dr. Lucinda Canty discussing the implications of the conference theme with the featured article authors, Dr. Iheduru-Anderson and Dr. Waite. They will highlight strategies for dismantling colonial legacies in nursing knowledge, empowering diverse voices, and cultivating critical consciousness among educators and students. By reimagining nursing education through Freire’s lens, we aim to inspire a more equitable, culturally responsive, and socially just approach to nursing theory and practice.

On Saturday, a panel of faculty and doctoral students from West Virginia University will discuss their current scholarly projects that are focused on the needs of populations that are neglected and underrepresented.- perspectives that are essential for the future development of nursing knowledge. The discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Heather Carter-Templeton and Dr. Suzy Walter, with panelists Emelia Botchway, Emmerita Morris, and Robin Elkins.

The closing panel will feature early-career scholars whose work is grounded in cultural traditions beyond those derived from Eurocentric perspectives. The discussion will be facilitated by Christina Nurati, with panelists Daniel Suárez-Bequero and Jitana Benton-Lee, who will focus on new directions for the development of nursing knowledge and their visions for changes that are required to engage their unique visions for shaping the path forward.

Throughout the five days of the conference, there will be 30-minute Knowledge Sessions presented by nursologists whose abstracts were accepted for the conference! Check out the program here and plan to participate as much as you possibly can!

Registration is open now!

Registration Open for 2025 Virtual Nursology Theory Week, March 20-24

Register here

The contemporary series of the Annual Nursology Theory week was established after the 2019 Theory conference hosted in person by Case Western Reserve University Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. The conference was so inspiring a group decided to make this an annual event! The initial plan was to gather in 2020 in Memphis, at the UTHSC College of Nursing, Hosted by the Margaret Newman Center for Nursing Theory – the same March when the COVID-19 pandemic hit! The in person conference had to be canceled – a disappointment that gave rise to the idea of an Annual Virtual conference! Since this conference was strongly supported by graduate students who wanted to learn more about nursing theory, and who needed a forum to present their own scholarship and network with nursologist students and faculty from around the world – this was a perfect “solution”!

This year’s conference theme, Honoring Our Past and Moving Forward: Decolonizing Nursing Knowledge, reflects our commitment to embracing our history while forging a path toward a progressive and inclusive future in nursing. The program outline will follow the traditions of the past few years – plenary sessions on Thursday, Saturday and Monday, along with 30-minute “knowledge sessions” based on your abstracts! Each day will end with open “daily dialogues” among all participants! Make plans now to attend! 

The plenary sessions are scheduled now and can be viewed on the conference website. The knowledge sessions will be announced soon. Presenters will include students, early-career scholars, and seasoned scholars who are engaged with the most current and cutting edge nursing scholarship.

So register now! You will receive the conference Guidebook about a week in advance of the conference, which will provide you with each session’s abstracts, bios of the presenters, slides for each of the sessions, and of course, the Zoom link to participate as an attendee! Guidebook will also contain contact information for all other attendees, so that you can network with nursologists from around the globe. You can select the sessions to attend over the 5 day conference based on your availability and interests! Based on feedback from previous conferences, this is not one to be missed!