USING APA FORMAT
A Down and Dirty Guide for Eastern Maine Community College Nursing Students
Laura Nickerson RN, BSN
Adjunct Instructor, EMCC
Revised August 2009
© Laura Nickerson, 2009
Running head: APA FORMAT
2
INTRODUCTION
At Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC), associate degree nursing students are
expected to submit papers according to the Sixth Edition of the Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines (2010). These guidelines are often
confusing for new users and require practice to master. APA format is meant to create a
consistent standard by which scholarly papers are submitted, allowing readers to easily access
research information. This document is designed to give the student the basics for formatting
papers, provide examples, and assist the student in meeting the specific formatting expectations
of EMCC nursing faculty.
NOTE: This document is meant as a quick reference guide and is not inclusive of all data in the
Publication Manual. Each institution, and often each instructor, has differing expectations for
documentation, and it would be advisable for the student to clarify as needed. This document is a
simplified version of APA, specific to the expectations of the nursing instructors at EMCC.
There will be situations the student will encounter in writing that will not be covered here, and
the student is responsible for format. Also, because of this guide design, it is not in correct APA
format. Please note most of the example references are fictitious, created by this author.
Why use APA?

Consistency

Professionalism

Assistance in creating a scholarly paper, giving credit to all sources

Allows the reader to quickly access research information
Running head: APA FORMAT
3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Setting the Paper Up………………………… ……………….. 4
The Title Page…………………………………………………. 5
Sample Title Page………………………………………6
Getting Ready to Write………...……………………………… 7
Abbreviations………………………………………….. 7
A Word on Research…………………………………... 8
Writing the Paper..................................................................…...8
Using Headings………………………….…………….. 9
Sample Heading Page…………………………………10
References……………………………………………………..11
Compiling the Reference Page……………………….. 11
Forming a Reference…………………………………. 12
Reference Examples…………………………………...13
Sample Reference Page…………………...………….. 16
Citations………………………………………………………. 17
Citation Examples…………………………………….. 18
Quotations…………………………………………………….. 20
Further Resources……………………………………………...22
Running head: APA FORMAT
4
SETTING THE PAPER UP

Use 8 ½” by 11” white paper

Set font size to 12 point and type to Times New Roman

Set the paragraph at double spacing with flush left text for the entire paper, do
not add extra spaces.

Set all margins at 1” (top/bottom and both sides)

Set paragraph indent to ½ inch. Consistency is important here. Make sure all
paragraphs are indented the same amount by using the tab key. If not using the tab
key, make sure indenting is the same number of spaces (5-7) with each paragraph.

Number the pages, beginning with the title page, numbers should be on the top,
right side of the page.

Add a running head (also referred to as the page header). This is a heading that
will appear on every page of the paper, usually a short (2-3 word) version of the
title, and begins on the title page. The words, “Running head:” appear followed by
the title of the paper in capitals. If the title is very long, then shorten it to less than
50 characters.
o For example, if the title of your paper was, Perceptions and Awareness of
Men in Nursing in Clinical Positions in a Large Urban Hospital, a header
could be, Men in Nursing. It is positioned flush left, on the same line as
the page number and can usually be placed via your computer program
using the header function. (This page has a correctly formatted heading.)
Running head: APA FORMAT
5
THE TITLE PAGE
Create the title page specific to EMCC Nursing Department requirements.
As already discussed, the Running head should be placed at the top of the page on the same line
as the page number.
The following information is centered in the middle of the page:
o Title
o Student name
o Eastern Maine Community College
o Title of course
o Instructor name (the instructor to whom you are submitting the paper)
o Date of submission
HINT: Beware of using colored paper, typeset or flashy fonts. Stick to the requirements. While
these extras look pretty, they do not conform to APA standards and actually detract from the
content of your paper. You will not receive extra credit for this, and may actually lose points.
The following page is an example of an acceptable title page. (Pls note that your page number
will obviously be “1”.)
Running head: APA FORMAT
6
A Lesson in Writing in APA Format for First Year Nursing Students
Laura Nickerson
Eastern Maine Community College
NUR 134
Doreen Garber RN, MSN, Lead Instructor
June 10, 2009
Running head: APA FORMAT
7
GETTING READY TO WRITE
Before starting the body of the paper, keep in mind;

No abstract is required for submissions to EMCC nursing faculty.

No author note is required for submission to EMCC nursing faculty.

Do not use first person reference. No, “I, me, we, us” etc. No third person, “this author,
this nurse” etc. Occasionally, this rule will be waved for specific assignments.

Avoid slang terms. Use professional language

Do not hyphenate words at the end of a line. Write the word out in full on the next line.
ABREVIATIONS
Abbreviations may be used, but must be introduced. For example, when discussing congestive
heart failure, most healthcare professionals recognize the abbreviation CHF. The first time it is
mentioned it in the paper it must be written in the long form followed by the abbreviation in
parenthesis. Thereafter, it may be referred to as CHF.
Here is an example of using abbreviations;
Nurses unfamiliar with foot care standards for the patient with diabetes mellitus (DM)
may require a more intensive training during orientation. Classes aimed at increasing the
knowledge base of the nurse can be combined with labs before release from orientation on a unit
that experiences a high volume of DM patients.
Running head: APA FORMAT
8
A WORD ON RESEARCH
Doing a literature search is an acquired skill. Be sure to use your library resources. When writing
on health care topics, “recent research” is often defined as being published in the last five years.
There are some topics where it is acceptable to use articles up to ten years old, and occasionally
older, but these will be specified by the instructor. HINT: If you find one good article on a topic
you are researching, be sure to check the article’s reference list to lead you to others.
WRITING THE PAPER
Discussion of how to write a submission is far beyond the scope of this document, but a few tips
on logistics have been included. When planning the paper, keep in mind a discussion or review
paper, what is usually written for nursing submissions in EMCC, generally contains three parts:

An introduction, containing the basics of what the paper will discuss. This is
where the purpose for the paper will be stated.

The body, where the actual discussion or review occurs, with citations to the
relevant literature used.

The conclusion, where the data presented is summarized. Do not introduce new
data here. This is a summary of the previously presented data.
It is helpful to review the requirements for the assignment at this point. Instructors will often
hand out a specific outline of expectations with corresponding point allotment. This may help
you decide how much time and writing is appropriate for each point.
Running head: APA FORMAT
9
USING HEADINGS
In APA format, headings are organized by levels. The papers you will write at EMCC should not
require more than two levels, and usually just one. Using any more can cause unnecessary clutter
and confusion. Do not use headings to fill up required space, you may loose marks for this.
HINT: You can use the requirements to organize the paper. By creating headings from the
points required, you will ensure you do not miss any required data.

For one level of heading: bold, centered using upper and lower case letters
The Effects of Stress on First Year Nursing Students

For two levels of heading: use first level then the next heading is flush left, bold, using
upper and lower case letter
The Effects of Stress on First Year Nursing Students
Stress in the First Semester
Also, when starting the paper, center the title on the top of the first page of the body of paper
before beginning writing or inserting headings.
The following page is an example of the first page of a paper using two levels of heading.
Running head: APA FORMAT
10
A Lesson in Writing in APA Format for First Year Nursing Students
Professional and academic writing with format is a skill that is often overlooked in
nursing school curriculum. It has been noted that nursing students come to programs with little
preparation in writing skills and a high anxiety level that is difficult to for faculty to counteract
and combat (Nickerson, 2008). The purpose of this paper is to summarize the results of learningneeds assessment, and also to identify learning objectives for a lesson related to academic
writing in format.
Lesson Overview
The learners for this lesson will be the students of an associate’s degree nursing program
in a community college. Students are expected to submit written work in accordance with the
Sixth Edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA)
(American Psychological Association, 2010). The 32 first-year students will attend the lesson
during orientation to the program, scheduled after a library introduction session. The setting is a
small conference room, with access to power point and overhead projections.
Needs Assessment
There are several areas where information can be obtained when looking at the incoming
students. A literature search can be conducted to discover if other educators are concerned with
this issue and what data has been discovered. A second method would be discussion with the
faculty as to their experience with student submissions. Also, it would be prudent to look at the
audience for the lesson, the students themselves.
Needs Assessment Summary
The first area that was addressed was a literature search. It has been discussed that the
quality of writing submissions in nursing schools has been a topic of concern for nursing
Running head: APA FORMAT
11
REFERENCES
In academic and professional writing it is necessary to give credit where credit is due. In APA
format this is achieved by use of in text citations, and a reference list to cite the discussion of
other writers’ ideas or researcher data.
ALL IN TEXT CITATIONS MUST APPEAR IN THE REFERENCE LIST; AND ALL
REFERENCES NOTED ON THE REFERENCE LIST MUST APPEAR SOMEWHERE IN
THE BODY OF THE DOCUMENT.
If you have already locate the literature you wish to use for you paper, it may actually be easier
to compile the reference list before writing the paper itself. This allows you to easily find citation
material from the reference list.
COMPILINGTHE REFERENCE PAGE
The reference page will generally be the last page of the document for EMCC nursing
submissions, and is on separate sheet. On the reference page:

The word “References” is centered, bold at the top of the page and the “R” is capitalized.

As with the rest of the document, double space with 1” margins.

Hanging indents are used (see examples).

References are listed in alphabetical order by the author’s last name.
Running head: APA FORMAT
12
FORMING A REFERENCE
References will vary because of the differences in the types of publication. The goal of a
reference list is to provide retrieval information for the reader. The basic information that is
contained in a reference is (in order):
1. Author or editors

If there is no noted author, an association or organization title may be
used.
2. Publication date

Generally the year only is indicated.
3. Title of article or book
4. Publication information

If a journal, name is listed followed by issue, volume and page numbers.

If a book, publisher information and location are listed.

If data were electronically retrieved, then give date accessed and web
address. No date is necessary for information retrieved that is not likely to
change such as online books, articles and newspapers. Include the DOI
number (digital object identifier), if one is available (discussed on pg 14).
HINT: When using electronic resources be very careful to assess credibility. Avoid .com
addresses as these are commercial. Use .gov (government) or .edu (educational) as these may be
more credible. Online journals may be assessed in the same manner as their print counterparts.
You may be required to have references pre approved by the instructor.
Running head: APA FORMAT
13
REFERENCE EXAMPLES
Here are some common examples of references. (This is not a complete list of possibilities, but
rather a sample of the type of references most often used in nursing submissions at EMCC):
1. A journal article with a single author. Note the use of punctuation, spacing and capitalization.
The author’s last name and initials are used, not full first names. Do not use titles such as
RN. The journal name is italicized, as is the volume number (the “43”).
Michaels, C.D. (2008). Barriers for nursing students in northeastern nursing programs: Perceived
importance. Journal of Northeastern Nursing, 33(9), 22-33.
Smith, S.S. (2007). Exploring the challenges for international nursing students during the first
year. Journal of Multinational Nurses, 41(8), 61-69.
2. A journal article with multiple authors. Note the authors’ names are not alphabetical but are
listed as they are credited in the article.
Williams C.D., & Nickerson, L.K. (2009). Transitioning from a staff nurse to an advanced
practice nurse. Journal of Transitioning Nurses, 88(4), p. 115-116.
Holford, H.E., Ellis, H.F., Aud, J.G., & Smith, J.J. (2006). Exploring writing skills in an
associate’s degree program. Adjunct Nursing Education, 65(12), 823-827.
Running head: APA FORMAT
14
3. A journal article (that was originally in print) accessed via a database. This is similar to
paper, but a DOI (digital object identifier) may be included at the end of a reference (this is
new to APA). This is usually on the first page of the electronic reference but can be difficult
to identify. If you are unable to locate it, it is acceptable to format the reference as you
would a hard copy of an article or to include the web address where you retrieved the data.
Without a doi the reference would look like this
Rose, N.N., & Neal, S.S. (2008). How to use technology in the classroom to inspire students.
Journal of Nursing in the Northeast, 18(5), 266-277. Retrieved from
http://www.journalofnursinginthenorhteast.org
With a doi the reference would look like this
Rose, N.N., & Neal, S.S. (2008). How to use technology in the classroom to inspire students.
Journal of Nursing in the Northeast, 18(5), 266-277. doi: 10.1177/132425364758
4. An journal that is only available online: There are generally no page numbers to note and it is
necessary to include a doi or a web address
Nickerson, L. (2008). How to help students write in APA format. Adjunct Education, 11(1).
Retrieved June 4, 2008, from http://www.mywebsite.edu
Running head: APA FORMAT
15
5. An entire book. Note the title of the text is italicized, and no page numbers are required.
Nickerson, M. A., & Neat, M. K. (2008). Ethics and nursing education (4th ed.). Bangor, ME:
Williams Publishing.
6. A chapter in an edited book.
Williams, C.D. (2009). The nursing situation. In M.J. Mobile, J.J. Levin, & K.W. Cole (Eds.),
Recent changes in the nursing world (pp. 515-542). Clarksdale, MS: Atwood Publishing.
7. A website of an organization. The date of the data retrieval and web address are included.
Department of Health and Human Services. (2004). The registered nurse population: National
sample survey of registered nurses. Retrieved August 9, 2007, from
ftp://ftp.hrsa.gov/bhpr/nursing/rnpopulation/theregisterednursepopulation.pdf
The following page is an example of a reference page with a variety of types of reference.
Running head: APA FORMAT
16
References
American Nurses Association. (2005). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements.
Retrieved July 6, 2009, from
http://www.ana.org/ethics/code/protected_nwcoe303.htm#9.2
Aud, A. A. (2006). Clinical simulation in nursing education. Adjunct Nurse Educator, 27(9),
121-125. doi:10.1244/908978675654
Barker, D. H., & Michael, J. A. (2006). Teaching in clinical nursing: New Trends (3rd ed.). St.
Louis, MO: Laura Publishing.
Braden, N.W., & Sherry, J.M. (2008). Retaining nursing adjuncts in nursing programs. Journal
of Nurses, 44(4), 155-166. doi:10.1256/108378565690
Department of Health and Human Services. (2004). The registered nurse population: National
sample survey of registered nurses. Retrieved April 5, 2009, from
ftp://ftp.hrsa.gov/bhpr/nursing/rnpopulation/theregisterednursepopulation.pdf
Ellie, N.M., Myles, J.J., & Style, B.L. (2009). Exploring nurses educational experiences in an
associate’s degree program. Journal of Nurses, 44(2), 23-27.
Guiles, G. G. (2007). Nurses issues in nursing (5th ed.). Fort Kent, ME: Cunningham Publishing.
Paul, M.J., & Thomas, K.K. (2006). Perceptions of the nursing instructor: A first years students
issues. Any Nursing Journal, 84(6), 1266-1272.
Smith, S.S. (2009). A shift in educational focus in nursing education. Journal of Nursing Shifts,
59(7), 63-69.
Williams, G.C. (2003). Is there a unique CRNA? Anesthesia Nurse Quarterly, 16(3). Retrieved from
http://www.afakejournal.com
Running head: APA FORMAT
17
CITATIONS
Use citations when:

Paraphrasing or summarizing another author’s article or work (the “source”). You are
using another’s ideas, and you need to give credit to avoid plagiarism.

Using research as a basis for a statement.
o You cannot simply say:
Studies suggest being in nursing school is stressful.
o You must cite those studies and give evidence of your statement:
Studies suggest that being in nursing school is stressful (Nickerson, 2008;
Williams, 2007).
A word about plagiarism. You must give credit where credit is due and cite all content that is
not your own. Failure to do this is essentially academic dishonesty, intentional or not. Read the
work, spend some time thinking about it, and then paraphrase it in your own words. Don’t forget
to cite it. When in doubt, cite.
CITATION EXAMPLES
1. Citations require you to provide the last name only of the author, and the year of publication.
For example, this is a citation for an article with only one author:
It has been suggested that the academic institution create a formal partnering of
experienced students with junior students to allow for support and encouragement
(Smith, 2004).
Running head: APA FORMAT
18
2. Example of a citation for an article with more than one author: Note again that only last
names are used, unlike the reference list. Also, names are kept in the order in which they are
listed in the article.
The quality of writing submissions in nursing schools today has been a topic of
concern for educators and a subject of improvement efforts (Nickerson, Williams, &
Aud, 2009).
3. Here is an example of a citation for more than one article: Note that the authors are listed in
alphabetical order, just as they would be in the reference list.
Several authors have noted the anxiety level in nursing students with regard to
complexities of writing in format (Nickerson, 2006; Williams & Aud, 2008).
4. You may also use the author’s name in the sentence itself to improve the flow of the paper.
Then only the year of publication needs to be included in the parentheses. For example;
In a retrospective study, Aud focused on the barriers in nursing educational facilities
to formatting instruction and how students perceived those barriers (2004).
5. When discussing an article for several sentences or a full paragraph, such as with a summary,
you need to cite the article once. If the paragraph is particularly long, cite at the beginning
and again at the end. (Be sure if you move on to another paragraph, even if discussing the
same article, you cite the article again.) For example:
Running head: APA FORMAT
19
A recent article focusing on the historical impact of men in nursing is reviewed. The
author argues that nurse educator’s lack of knowledge on the past contributions of
males may perpetuate gender bias in education. The author discusses the roots of men
in nursing, and highlights several contributions often overlooked in modern nursing
education. Concern is shared for the differences in perceptions of education between
male and female nursing students and the need for the educator to be aware of these
differences (Anthony, 2003).
6. When citing references with 3-5 authors, the first citation includes all authors, and
subsequent citations may be shortened to the first author and “et al.” For example the first
time the citation is used:
The article discusses the need for nursing students to network to decrease stress levels
(Nickerson, Williams, Smith, & Jones, 2007).
The second time the citation is used, and any time thereafter:
The research has shown the decreased stress levels in the nursing students also
contributed to the students’ sense of well-being (Nickerson, et al., 2007).
7. When citing references with six or more authors, just go straight to using the first author’s
name and “et al.” For example:
The findings suggest that the increased use of massage therapy prior to examinations
decreased the students stress level (Jones, et al., 2008).
Running head: APA FORMAT
20
QUOTATIONS
Quotations follow a similar format as citations, but the page or paragraph number must also be
included.
HINT: Use quotes sparingly, if at all, as it does not demonstrate your understanding of the
material. Use the quote if it is excellent, and you can think of no other way to say it. If quotes
must be used, limit them to less than 40 words (format changes with longer quotes).
An example of a quotation of less than 40 words:
During the literature review there was a noted the lack of data in this area, and the
historical, “lack of concern for writing in the health professions” (Nickerson &
Williams, 2008, p. 31).
Another example of a quotation of less than 40 words;
As discussed by Michaels & Booker, nursing students readily accept writing
challenges and are “highly motivated and attentive” (2005, p. 26).
An example of a quotation of less than 40 words taken from an electronic source (internet) that
does not have page numbers, if paragraph numbers are visible:
It has been noted there are inherent issues in teaching formatting to nursing students
uninterested in the, “complexities of submission structure” (Holford, 2007, para. 3).
Running head: APA FORMAT
21
Another example of a quotation of less than 40 words taken from an electronic source (internet)
that does not have page numbers (use paragraph number instead):
Atwood’s suggestion that nursing students be introduced to formatting early in their
program, “by trained instructors” might help decrease anxiety levels (2008, para. 7).
An example of a quotation of less than 40 words taken from an electronic source (internet) that
does not have page numbers, nor visible paragraph numbers, use headings then count paragraph
number:
The author discussed that the stress of the first year of nursing school “heightens the
students memory retention” (Nickerson, 2009, Introduction, para. 2).
HINT:PROOF READ! Always reread the document several times looking for spelling, grammar
and flow of the paper. Check to see if all submission requirements have been met. It is helpful to
have another person read as well. Also, reading the paper out loud can help identify problems
and identify flow and grammar.
Running head: APA FORMAT
22
FURTHER RESOURCES
The official manual of APA format; & The official website http://www.apastyle.org/
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (Sixth Edition). American Psychological Association: Washington,
D.C.
Other helpful websites;
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
The Purdue APA formatting and style guide a very comprehensive site with many examples and
sample papers. There are great suggestions for the academic writing process as well. There also
an online workshop on APA format, (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/664/01/) but
this is more data than is required for the EMCC nursing program.
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocAPA.html The University of Wisconsin – Madison
writing center provides an overview of APA format, with visual examples and corresponding
page numbers in the APA manual. Simple and easy to read.
There is a large variety of APA writing resources available. Printed guides, websites and
computer programs are only a sample. It is not recommended you spend a large amount of
money on these guides. An internet search for, “APA Tutorial” will provide you many
instructional sites. Most of what you need at this level can be found in the preceding pages and
online.
Running head: APA FORMAT
23