Home Healthcare Nurse welcomes manuscripts about all aspects of home care and hospice practice and operations, including original articles, case studies, letters, descriptions of clinical care and best practices, research, and other information that is useful to clinicians and managers working in those specialties. Although not required, authors are encouraged to e-mail or write the editor prior to submission, specifying the idea for the manuscript. The editor can assist with clarifying topics or other aspects of manuscript design and delivery.
HHN is peer reviewed. All manuscripts undergo review by the editor and blind reviews by the review panel and/or editorial board. Each article is evaluated on its timeliness, importance, accuracy, clarity, and applicability. Acceptance of an article depends on several points, including the depth of development of the topic, the interest in and relevance of the topic, and its adherence to author guidelines. Material must be original and never before published. A manuscript is submitted for review with the understanding that it is not being nor will it have been submitted to any other journal prior to final consideration by HHN.
Format
One electronic copy of the original manuscript should be submitted via e-mail. A floppy disk or CD, prepared using a standard word-processing program (Microsoft Word preferred), can also be submitted. Graphics should be placed in a separate file (see "Illustrations"); electronic figures and tables should be placed at the end of the manuscript, after references.
Manuscripts should be double-spaced with 1-inch margins. Include page numbers at either the top or the bottom of the page. It is advised that authors retain copies of submitted manuscripts. Manuscripts accepted are subject to copyediting. The author will receive proofs that reflect all editing prior to publication.
The title page should include the title of the article, all authors' names and academic degrees, the institution(s) each author represents, authors' current addresses (if different), a complete description of any grants supporting the research, and the complete mailing address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address of the corresponding author. Brief biographies (approximately 50 words each) of all authors should be included with manuscripts.
The maximum manuscript length is 3600 words, including figures, tables, and references. An Acknowledgments section may follow the text.
Commentary
The "Commentary," which appears at the end of an issue, includes thoughtful discussions or stories about your experiences. Short pieces about "My Most Memorable Patient," "My Best (and Worst) Day in Home Care," "My Thoughts on [horizontal ellipsis]" and other first-person accounts are welcomed in this section. They may be expressed as stories or poems and may contain references but no figures or tables. Feel free to share poignant or compassionate experiences that occur and are unique to the practice of home care and hospice nursing or care. Humor, compassion, lessons learned, hazards encountered, and numerous other aspects of caring for patients and family members at home often provide the basis for these pieces. These submissions are fairly short (usually 1 or 2 printed pages, ranging from 400 to 600 words).
Style
Format style should be patterned after the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), 5th Edition, 2001, published by the American Psychological Association, 750 First Street, Washington, DC 20002. All references must be cited in the text and listed in alphabetical order at the end, per APA style. Please use the author-date method of citation within the text: "(Doe, 2004)" or "Doe (2004) states[horizontal ellipsis]" With multiple authors, the first citation must list all authors, up to six; in subsequent citations, list only the name of the first author and et al. Dorland's Medical Dictionary (28th Edition) and Webster's Dictionary (10th Edition) should be used as standard references. Scientific (generic) names of drugs should be used when possible. Copyright or trade names of drugs should be capitalized and placed in parentheses immediately following the name of the drug. The manufacturers of supplies and equipment cited in a manuscript should be included in parentheses, along with the city and state or country of the manufacturer.
Accepted manuscripts are subject to copyediting. The author will receive proofs that reflect all editing prior to publication.
Illustrations
If submitting art electronically, high-resolution scans must be at 300 dpi or greater; 300-dpi images range in size from 400k to several megabytes. Images can be color or grayscale. Images obtained from the Internet, with very few exceptions, are not useable. Figures include line drawings, photographs, diagrams, and graphs. Each figure must be numbered, with that number corresponding to a statement in the text directing the reader to see that figure. All figures must be accompanied by figure legends. The author must obtain permission for figures borrowed from another source.
Permissions
Acquiring permission to reprint previously published material is the responsibility of the author. Written permission must be obtained from (1) the holder of copyrighted material used in the manuscript; (2) persons mentioned in the narrative or acknowledgment; and (3) the administrators of institutions mentioned in the narrative or acknowledgment. Where permission has been granted, the author should follow any special wording stipulated by the grantor. Please note that written permission must be obtained for the reproduction of photographs in which a patient is recognizable. Letters of permission must be submitted before publication of the manuscript.
Copyright Transfer Agreement
All authors and co-authors must sign a copyright transfer agreement upon submission of their manuscript for consideration. In the event the manuscript is not accepted for publication, this agreement will be returned so that authors may pursue publication elsewhere.
References
References should conform to APA style. A list of references should appear double-spaced at the end of the manuscript, with references cited in APA format in the text. Unpublished data, personal communications, and material published only in abstract form should be cited parenthetically in the text (e.g., Jones SA, personal communication, April 1995).
Examples follow:
Journal Article: Turkoski, B. B. (2000). Home care and hospice ethics: Using the code for nurses as a guide. Home Healthcare Nurse, 18(5), 308-317.
Book: Baranoski, S., & Ayello, E. (2004). Wound care essentials: Practice principles. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Web sites: Follow guidelines found at http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html.
Manuscript Submission
Manuscripts should be submitted via e-mail to the editor, Tina M. Marrelli, at [email protected]. For a complete author packet, go to HHN's Web site: http://homehealthcarenurseonline.com or contact the editor.
Submission Checklist
Cover letter stating name, address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address of the author chosen for correspondence.
* Title page
* Brief biography(s)
* Text in APA format, double-spaced, 1" margins
* References, double-spaced, APA format
* Numbered pages, starting with the title page
* Legends, double-spaced on a separate sheet of paper
* Permissions to reproduce published material (see "Permissions")
* Copyright Transfer Agreement signed
* Manuscript and all tables, figures, diagrams, and illustrations on floppy disk or CD
Compliance with these requirements will expedite consideration of your manuscript.