About

The Canadian Journal of Emergency Nursing (CJEN) is the official scholarly publication of the National Emergency Nursing Association of Canada (NENA). We are an open-access, bilingual, free to publish, peer-reviewed publication.

CJEN publishes scholarly work including editorials, reviews and original research related to emergency nursing, patient transport, forensics, resuscitation, harm reduction, emergency medicine, paramedicine. Our mission is to promote and support excellence in emergency care through community building and knowledge sharing.

CJEN was previously published as "NENA Outlook" between 2001 and 2012.

Editorial policy and ethics

Peer Review Process

CJEN operates a blinded review process (double-blind for all submissions). All contributions will be initially assessed by the editor for suitability for the journal. Papers deemed suitable are then typically sent to a minimum of two independent expert reviewers to assess the scientific quality of the paper. The Editor is responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles. The Editor's decision is final.

To facilitate blinding of reviews, please include the following separately: Cover Letter and Title page (with all authors’ details) uploaded via the “for the editor” dialogue box contained in the submission process. The title page should include the title, authors' names, affiliations, acknowledgements and any conflicts of interest and funding sources. Please also clearly identify the corresponding author. A blinded manuscript, including the references, figures, tables and any acknowledgements is uploaded during the submission process. Please be sure to remove anything that would make the authorship team easily identified by expert peer reviewers such as the authors' names or affiliations.

Publication Frequency

CJEN is published bi-annually with Spring and Fall print editions for members of the National Emergency Nurses Association (NENA). Electronic versions of articles are available immediately on the CJEN website.

Open Access Policy

The Canadian Journal of Emergency Nursing is published Open Access under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 license. Authors retain full copyright. For more information see the copyright section below.

Articles are published immediately upon the final corrections of the master proof having been made. All articles are assigned a DOI number (Digital Object Identifier).

Copyright and Licensing

The Canadian Journal of Emergency Nursing is published Open Access under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 license. Authors retain full copyright. For more information see the copyright section below.

Archiving

This journal utilizes the LOCKSS system to create a distributed archiving system among participating libraries and permits those libraries to create permanent archives of the journal for purposes of preservation and restoration.

Author Self Archiving

Authors are permitted and encouraged to post any version of their manuscript to personal or institutional websites, in repositories and similar, prior to and after publication (while providing the bibliographic details of that publication).

Ethics in Publishing

Ethical standards for publication exist to ensure high-quality scientific publications, public trust in scientific findings, and that people receive credit for their ideas. The Canadian Journal of Emergency Nursing complies with the guidelines and best practices set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)

Misconduct
Allegations of pre and post-publication misconduct are taken seriously and can be brought to our attention by emailing editor@nena.ca. Information will be sought from whistleblowers and corroborating independent evidence will be sought.
Criteria for authorship and contributorship of manuscripts submitted to CJEN are set out by the guidance from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), also known as the Vancouver group.

Conflicts of Interest
Conflicts of interest, as they relate to manuscripts submitted to CJEN, should be reported in the cover letter to the editor for each member of the authorship team in accordance with ICMJE guidelines.

Peer reviewers and editorial staff are required, at the time they are asked to critique a manuscript, to critically reflect on any conflicts they may have that could bias their opinions of the manuscript and must recuse themselves if a significant conflict (potential or actual) exists. Furthermore, reviewers must to use knowledge of their work they are reviewing before its publication to further their own interests. The editorial staff and peer reviewers must follow ICMJE guidelines as above.

Reporting, Data and Reproducibility
CJEN encourages the use of reporting guidelines and registration of clinical trials and other study designs according to standard practice in Health Sciences such as clinicaltrials.gov, PROSPERO etc. We encourage research teams to make their data available in appendices, linked to their manuscript, and hosted through the Public Knowledge Project and the Open Journal System.

Ethical Oversight
Proof of ethical oversight of research is required in order to publish in CJEN. Manuscripts of research and quality improvement work involving human or animal subjects must include a statement in the methods section of their submission regarding whether a formal ethical review was obtained and any processes undertaken to protect humans, animals and/or confidential data. The inclusion of an ethics review (IRB) number and link to the research ethics board is preferred.

Intellectual Property
There is no cost to authors to electronic publishing in CJEN. Print publishing in CJEN by non-NENA members is to be negotiated with the editorial team.

CJEN will not publish manuscripts already significantly published and disseminated. If preliminary findings are presented or published elsewhere, this must be mentioned in the cover letter to the editorial team – and this will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. We believe that the translation or re-interpretation of research from another discipline may constitute an original manuscript. The existence of a preprint manuscript does not preclude publishing in CJEN. Please note the existence of any related preprint manuscripts in the cover letter to the editor. Plagiarism and redundant/overlapping publication, i.e. changing titles and author order without meaningful changes to the content of the manuscript will be considered academic misconduct. Manuscripts will undergo plagiarism detection screening.

Post-Publication Discussion and Corrections
Debate post-publication will be facilitated through letters to the editor and on the journal website directly. We will consider correcting, revising or retracting articles after publication on a case-by-case basis. When an article is retracted due to academic misconduct, this information (including the rationale) will be shared with other academic journals as well as the relevant institutions such as universities, hospitals and colleges.

Disclaimer

Though we strive for accuracy and excellence in scientific publishing, despite our best efforts, we cannot guarantee the integrity of the work we publish.

Post Publication Corrective Action

In the event of raised concerns regarding a published article, the Editor will follow the guidance outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), which encompasses COPE’s retraction guidelines. This entails assessing whether retraction is necessary for the published article or if alternative corrective measures or notifications are warranted. Verdicts regarding retractions and appeals for expressions of concern are ultimately conclusive.

Appealing Editorial Decisions

Editors wield significant latitude in assessing the suitability of submissions for their publication. Oftentimes, submissions are turned away without undergoing external scrutiny, accompanied by a concise explanation for the rejection. Should an author contest the rejection, feeling it deviates from the journal's protocols, they have the option to challenge it by furnishing the Editor with a thorough rebuttal addressing each reviewer and editor critique. The Editor will then revaluate the peer review process applied to the submission. Should the rejection align with the publication's editorial standards, the Editor's verdict stands as conclusive.

Post Publication Corrective Action

In the event of raised concerns regarding a published article, the Editor will follow the guidance outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), which encompasses COPE’s retraction guidelines. This entails assessing whether retraction is necessary for the published article or if alternative corrective measures or notifications are warranted. Verdicts regarding retractions and appeals for expressions of concern are ultimately conclusive.

Concerns or Complaints

Anybody wishing to raise a concern or make a complaint about any Canadian Journal of Emergency Nursing (CJEN) publications or publishing partners can email picard@ualberta.ca.

At CJEN, adherence to Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines is a cornerstone of our practice, ensuring that all concerns, irrespective of the individual's standing or identity, are addressed confidentially and in alignment with COPE standards (https://publicationethics.org/). Our goal is to address issues within a six-week timeframe, though more intricate investigations may require additional time, contingent upon the complexity of the concern or complaint.

Editorial board

Editor-in-Chief

Christopher Picard
CD, MN, RN, ENC(C)
Clinical Nurse Specialist, Trauma and Forensic Service. Island Health, Victoria, BC.  Ph.D. Student, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

Christopher Picard has worked in tertiary, rural, and remote areas as an emergency nurse. In his role as a medic with the Canadian Forces he has worked in prehospital, clinical and austere roles both domestically and abroad. Chris currently works as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Trauma and Forensic Services with Island Health on Vancouver Island, British Columbia Canada. His research interests are trauma care, evidence-based practice and knowledge translation. 

Editors

Heather McLellan
MEd, BN, RN, CEN, CFRN
Associate Professor, Advanced Studies in Critical Care Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB

Heather McLellan is an Associate Professor with Mount Royal University in the Advanced Studies in Critical Care Nursing Program. She has almost 40 years of emergency, critical care and transport nursing experience working in Canada and Internationally with twenty years of that time spent working on helicopter air ambulances including Air One (Tyler, Texas), University of Texas Life Flight (Galveston, Texas) and Alberta Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS, Calgary). Heather has authored, edited and reviewed multiple items for textbooks and journals for transport and emergency. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Air & Surface Transport Nursing Association, Canadian Aerospace Medicine and Aeromedical Transport Association, the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing for both Emergency and Transport Nursing Specialty exams and as a peer reviewer for the Air Medical Journal. Heather maintains clinical currency working in the Foothills Medical Centre Emergency Department, Calgary’s Level One Trauma Centre. Her teaching focus is online distance education for the adult professional. Research interests include prehospital and critical care patient transport and scholarship of teaching and learning as it relates to advanced nursing education.

Matthew J Douma
MN-HLSA, RN, ENC(C), CCN(C), CNCC(C)
Adjunct Professor, Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

Matthew has been an emergency nurse since 2006. He is currently a clinical nurse educator at the Royal Alexandra Hospital Emergency Department and an adjunct associate professor of Critical Care Medicine at the University of Alberta. His clinical and research interests are in the areas of resuscitation and emergency department operations. 

Kar Lin Su

MN, NP (FAA)

Nurse Practitioner - Trauma Services, Alberta Health Services. Edmonton, AB. 

Kar Lin Su is a Trauma Nurse Practitioner in Alberta with over eight years of frontline experience as a Registered Nurse in high-acuity emergency care. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a commitment to advancing nursing practice, education, and patient care. Kar Lin is an active contributor to the professional nursing community, serving on various committees such as the Alberta Union of Nurse Practitioners and the Edmonton Police Services Chief Community Council. Her research interests include trauma resuscitation, critical care, and the integration of evidence-based practices in emergency settings. With a passion for mentorship and collaborative learning, Kar Lin is dedicated to contributing to the growth and development of nursing through research and editorial work.

Jeanesse Bourgeois

MN, RN 

Clinical Coordinator, Montreal West Island Integrated University Health and Social Services Centre, Pointe-Claire, QC

Jeanesse Bourgeois is the Clinical Coordinator for the Emergency Department at the CIUSSS Ouest de l'ile de Montreal. She brings with her years of prior experience with the McGill University Health Center. Fourteen years of her career have been spent as an assistant nurse manager in the emergency department of the Montreal General Hospital, specializing in trauma and mental health. She also spent time as the unit manager in the MUHC COVID-19 testing center.

After graduating from McGill University with a BScN in 2004, Jeanesse went on to complete a diploma in health care management from McGill University in 2009 and most recently a Masters in Nursing from Athabasca University in 2022.

Jeanesse has a strong interest in quality improvement in health care completing a thesis looking at the accuracy of trauma triage and the impact on quality of care in the emergency department. She has been involved in numerous projects involving major changes in practice in the emergency department. Her work from her thesis research as well as other projects has been presented at several local and national conferences including the National Emergency Nurses Association national conference in 2019 and the Trauma Association of Canada conference in 2022.

Dawn Peta

BN, RN, ENC(C)

Clinical Instructor Rural South for Alberta Health Services.

Dawn Peta has worked in tertiary and rural as an emergency nurse and has been practicing for 30 years. Dawn currently works as a Clinical Instructor Rural South for Alberta Health Services. Her research interests are trauma care, advocacy, evidence-based practice and education.

Alexandra Lapierre

inf., Ph. D.

Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec, QC | Stagiaire post-doctorale, Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université Laval, Québec, QC

Alexandra completed her PhD at the Faculty of Nursing, Université de Montréal, in June 2023. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine at Université Laval. Her research focuses on enhancing trauma care quality through optimized interprofessional collaboration. Her postdoctoral project aims to identify interprofessional interventions that impact collaboration throughout the trauma care continuum and to assess their implementation in Quebec hospitals. In addition to her research, Alexandra is a member of the Board of Directors of the Association des infirmières et infirmiers d'urgence du Québec since 2020 and serves as the editor-in-chief of the journal Soins d'urgence, contributing to the advancement of emergency nursing knowledge.

Alexandra a terminé son doctorat à la Faculté des sciences infirmières de l'Université de Montréal en juin 2023. Elle est actuellement stagiaire postdoctorale au Département de médecine sociale et préventive de l'Université Laval. Ses recherches portent sur l'amélioration de la qualité des soins de traumatologie par l'optimisation de la collaboration interprofessionnelle. Son projet postdoctoral vise à identifier les interventions interprofessionnelles qui ont un impact sur la collaboration dans le continuum des soins de traumatologie et à évaluer leur mise en œuvre dans les hôpitaux du Québec. En plus de ses recherches, Alexandra est membre du conseil d'administration de l'Association des infirmières et infirmiers d'urgence du Québec depuis 2020 et est rédactrice en chef de la revue Soins d'urgence, contribuant ainsi à l'avancement des connaissances en soins infirmiers d'urgence.

Gabriela Peguero-Rodriguez

PhD / Inf., PhD, RN

Assistant Professor, Nursing Department, Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO), Gatineau, Quebec | Professeure adjointe, Département des sciences infirmières, Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO), Gatineau, Québec

Gabriela Peguero-Rodriguez is a nurse and assistant professor in the Department of Nursing at the Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO). She teaches critical care courses and clinical rotations. Passionate about emergency care, she is vice-president of the Quebec Emergency Nurses Association (AIIUQ) and co-editor of the journal Soins d'urgence. She holds a doctorate in nursing from the University of Ottawa. Her dissertation focused on the transition of seniors and their caregivers from long-term care facilities to the emergency department. Her research interests include family caregiving, aging, transitions, and emergency care.

Gabriela Peguero-Rodriguez est infirmière et professeure adjointe au département des sciences infirmières à l’Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO). Elle y enseigne principalement les cours et les stages relatifs aux soins critiques. Passionnée par les soins d’urgence, elle est la vice-présidente de l’Association des infirmières et infirmiers d’urgence du Québec (AIIUQ), ainsi que rédactrice en chef adjointe de la revue Soins d’urgence. Elle a obtenu son doctorat en sciences infirmières à l’Université d’Ottawa. Sa thèse doctorale portait sur la transition des aînés et de leurs personnes proches aidantes des établissements de soins de longue durée vers l’urgence. Ses intérêts de recherche portent sur la proche aidance, le vieillissement, les transitions et les soins d’urgence.