APA Documentation for Nursing Students
The Purpose of Referencing/Documentation
1) to identify (cite) other people’s ideas and information used within your essay or term paper, and
2) to indicate the authors or sources of these in the References at the end of your paper.
APA Format
The APA format is only one of many methods of documentation. Details about the format are found in
•
the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.), which is available for purchase in the MRU
Bookstore and for use in the MRU Library
•
the APA website at http://apastyle.apa.org/, including Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ at http://www.apastyle.org/
learn/faqs/index.aspx)
th
NOTE: Page numbers in square brackets refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6 ed.) (APA)
Avoiding Plagiarism - Citation Principles for Essays and Term Papers

[APA pp. 169-170]
Within essays, term papers, and any other written assignments (as in all academic work), you must identify (i.e. reference,
document, cite) all quotations, paraphrases, ideas and images from someone else’s work. You must name the original author
or source and surround quoted material with quotation marks or set it in a block format as described below. Copying any
material and submitting it as your own (plagiarism) is an academic offence. Plagiarism may result in failure on the
assignment and, in some cases, expulsion from a course. (See the Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism and the section on
“Plagiarism & Cheating” in the MRU Office of Student Conduct User Guide at www.mtroyal.ca/codeofstudentconduct.)
Referencing/Citing Sources within Your Paper
Whenever you use a quotation from an author or summarize or paraphrase a person’s ideas or research, you must identify
(reference/cite) the source. This in-text citation is formatted with parentheses and shows
•
the last name of the author(s) of the work, unless already stated
[APA pp. 174]
or the first few words of the References list entry (usually the title) if the author is not known
[APA p. 176]
•
the year of publication
[APA p. 174]
•
page number(s) if available
Citing Short Quotations (fewer than 40 words)
[APA pp. 170-172]
[APA p. 92, pp. 170-172]
When you incorporate a direct quotation into a sentence, you must cite its source. The examples which follow include a
quotation from page 804 in an article written by Olivia Numminen and Helena Leino-Kilpi:
Numminen and Leino-Kilpi (2007) state, “Students’ immediate cultural environment, their clinical experiences, their perception of
their role as nurses, and recent education were factors influencing students’ ethical decision-making” (p. 804).
OR
Researchers have found that “students’ immediate cultural environment, their clinical experiences, their perception of their role as
nurses, and recent education were factors influencing students’ ethical decision-making” (Numminen & Leino-Kilpi, 2007, p. 804).
This handout has been compiled by Mount Royal University’s Student Learning Services and Library and was revised Fall 2010.
Please consult them for more information on documentation or go to www.apastyle.org.
Citing Long Quotations (40 or more words)
[APA p. 92, pp. 170-172]
If the quotation is long (40 or more words), you must use
•
a block format in which all lines of the quotation are indented approximately ½ inch from the left margin
•
no quotation marks.
(See the final block quotation in the sample paragraph on page 3.)
Citing Summaries or Paraphrases
[APA p. 171, p. 174]
Even if you put information in your own words by summarizing or paraphrasing, you must cite the original author or
researcher. For example, a paraphrase of Numminen and Leino-Kilpi’s earlier quotation would be cited as follows:
Nursing students’ ethical perspective is shaped by their schooling and practical training, societal influences, and beliefs about
their professional responsibilities (Numminen & Leino-Kilpi, 2007, p. 804).
Citing Information When You Have Not Seen the Original Source
[APA p. 178]
Sometimes an author writes about research that someone else has done, but you are unable to track down the original research
report. For example, in your paper you might include research described in your course textbook. In the sample paraphrase
below, the information about Wang’s research is taken from an article written by Seal and Yurkovich.
Note: Because you did not read Wang’s report, only Seal and Yurkovich’s article will appear in your References list.
A 2001 study by Wang suggests that obesity in rural areas is connected to the economic status of inhabitants (as cited by Seal
& Yurkovich, 2009, p. 57).
Citing Information If No Page Numbers Are Available
[APA p. 171-172]
Many electronic sources such as websites contain no page numbers, so you cannot include a page number for the in-text
citation. The exception is for PDFs, which normally show original page numbers. If the source has no page numbers but it
explicitly numbers the paragraphs, you can include paragraph number(s), preceded by the abbreviation “para.” in the citation
parentheses. However, if the document only has headings (no page or paragraph numbers), use the heading and then give the
number of the paragraph under it that contains the information you are incorporating in your essay as in the example below.
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Tips for APA Citation
•
If the author’s name is unavailable, use the shortened title of the article or web page, including the appropriate
capitalization and quotation marks/italicization format.
•
(“New Zealand,” 2007, para. 1)
Use ‘and’ between two authors in a sentence but use an ‘&’ in a parenthetical citation .
(Numminen & Leino-Kilpi, 2007, p. 797)
•
For three to five authors, name all authors the first time you cite their work.
(Sommers, Johnson, & Beery, 2007, p. 32)
For subsequent citations, provide only the surname of the first author, followed by ‘et al.’.
(Sommers et al., 2007, p. 41)
[APA p. 176 and FAQ]
[APA p. 175]
•
For six or more authors, always use the ‘et al.’ format. (Nykolyshyn et al., 2003/2007, p. 144)
•
The full name of a group or corporate author is spelled out the first time you cite the work. If the group has a well
[APA p. 175]
known acronym, include it in square brackets after the name.
(World Health Organization [WHO], 2009, Fostering health security, para. 1)
•
For subsequent citations, use the acronym.
[APA p. 177, p. 94]
(WHO, 2009, Fostering health security, para. 1)
Sample Paragraph with Citations
Nurses constantly face ethical challenges on the job (Numminen & Leino-Kilpi, 2007,
p. 796). According to the Canadian Nurses Association (2008), “Sensitivity and receptivity to
ethical questions must be part of nurses’ basic education and should evolve as nurses develop
their professional practice” (p. 2). While professional bodies like the Canadian Nurses
Association emphasize the importance of ethics education in nursing programs, nurse educators
continue to debate the best methods for teaching these concepts (B. Smithe, personal
communication, April 29, 2008). Woods (2005) writes, “There still remains a nagging feeling
that insufficient numbers of nurses are emerging from their undergraduate (or postgraduate)
education with an appropriate ethical awareness of their individual or collective moral
capacity” (p. 6). A review of the nursing literature by Numminen and Leino-Kilpi (2007) found
that little research has been conducted on the best way to incorporate training on ethical
decision-making into nursing education (p. 806). Drawing on the limited studies available,
Woods (2005) recommends specific instruction for ethics training:
Research tells us that there should be a significantly strong emphasis on the analysis
and appropriate responses of personal and professional values, health care contexts,
ethical problems and methods of moral decision making. However, the emphasis
should always be an applied one, using ‘real world’ situations from nursing. (p. 15)
Creating the References List
(See the Sample References Page on page 5 of this handout.)
•
Start References on a separate page at the end of your paper.
[APA p. 37]
•
Include only those sources you have cited within your paper.
[APA p. 180]
Exceptions are personal communications and classical works, such as the Bible and the Qur’an, which do not
appear in the References.
[APA p. 174, pp. 178-179]
•
Double-space the entire References list. Do not add an extra blank line after the title.
•
Position the first line of each reference flush-left, with subsequent lines wrapping with a ½-inch
(hanging) indent.
•
[APA p. 180]
[APA p. 180]
Organize the list in alphabetical order according to the first letter beginning each entry. Normally, the author’s last
name, unless unknown, is the first piece of information in each entry. After the last name, include the author’s
initials rather than the author’s first/middle names.
[APA pp. 181-183]
•
Use correct formatting such as punctuation and sequence of information for each entry in your References list.
(See the section below, Using This Handout to Format Your References List, and examples from pages 6-8.)
Using This Handout to Format Your References List
1.
Look through the examples of sources on pages 6-8 categorized as books, book chapters, journal and newspaper articles,
websites, and other sources of information.
2.
For each of your information sources, find the combination of formatting from one or more examples on pages 6-8 that
is the best fit. For example, you might need to combine the “one author edition stated” example with “book with two or
more authors.” Work left to right through the sample reference(s) to reproduce formatting details.
3.
Your goal is to provide information in each Reference listing that would allow someone reading your essay or research
paper to find or get to that particular source of information or document, so accuracy is important.
4.
Journal articles when possible should be identified by a digital object identifier (DOI). If articles are accessed from
library subscription, full-text databases such as CINAHL, database information including URLs (website addresses) do
not need to be included. However, if articles are directly accessed through the Internet, include their full URLs.
(See appropriate examples on pages 6-8.)
[APA pp. 187-192]
Retrieval dates are not required, but include them if material is likely to change or move.
[APA p. 192]
Explanation of Reference Listings
year published
authors
book title
Sommers, M. S., Johnson, S. A., & Beery, T. A. (2007). Diseases and disorders: A nursing therapeutics manual (3nd
ed.). Philadephia, PA: F. A. Davis.
book edition
publisher
place published
year published
article authors
article title
Numminen, O. H., & Leino-Kilpi, H. (2007). Nursing students’ ethical decision-making: A review of the literature.
Nurse Education Today, 27, 796-807.
name of journal
volume #
webpage title
(author unknown)
page #
date retrieved
no publication date
website URL
Basic principles of asepsis. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2007, from http://web.indstate.edu/mary/periop/
slide38.htm
year published
chapter title
book editors
Petrucka, P. (2009). The Canadian health care system. In P. A. Potter, A. G. Perry, J. C. Ross-Kerr, & M. J. Wood
chapter
author
(Eds.), Canadian fundamentals of nursing (4th ed., pp. 14-27). Toronto, Canada: Elsevier Mosby.
book title
first & last page of
chapter
publisher
place published
Sample References Page
References
Canadian Nurses Association. (2008). Code of ethics for registered nurses. Retrieved from http://www.cna-aiic.ca/
CNA/documents/pdf/publications/Code_of_Ethics_2008_e.pdf
New Zealand scraps short-stay rewards in maternity wards. (2007, November 27). Globe and Mail. Retrieved from
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Numminen, O. H., & Leino-Kilpi, H. (2007). Nursing students' ethical decision-making: A review of the literature.
Nurse Education Today, 27, 796-807. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2009.07.013
Seal, N., & Yurkovich, E. (2009). Physical activity within rural families of overweight preschool children: A pilot.
Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care, 9(1), 56-68. Retrieved from http://www.rno.org/
journal/index.php/online-journal/article/view/178/228
WaterbyrdFilmz. (2008, August 7). Nurse TV: Nursing makes a difference [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOiK5Cbz97U
Woods, M. (2005). Nursing ethics education: Are we really delivering the good(s)? Nursing Ethics, 12, 5-18.
doi: 10.1191/0969733005ne754oa
Sample References: Books
book, with one author
[APA pp. 203 & 205]
Shalof, T. (2007). The making of a nurse. Toronto, Canada: McClelland & Stewart.
book with two to seven authors, edition stated
[APA p. 184]
Sommers, M. S., Johnson, S. A., & Beery, T. A. (2007). Diseases and disorders: A nursing therapeutics manual (3rd ed.).
Philadephia, PA: F. A. Davis.
e-book version of print book, retrieved from a library database
[APA p. 203]
O’Brien-Pallas, L., Hiroz, J., Cook, A., & Mildon, B. (2005). Nurse-physician relationships: Solutions and recommendations
for change. Retrieved from ebrary database.
republished e-book, retrieved from the web
[APA p. 178, pp. 203-204]
Nightingale, F. (2005). Notes on nursing: What it is, and what it is not. Retrieved from http://www.gutenberg.org/
catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=58626 (Original work published 1898)
**Note: In text citation should include both dates, i.e. (Nightingale, 1898/2005, p. 3)
Sample References: Articles or Chapters in Edited Books or Encyclopedia
chapter with known author(s) in an edited book
[APA p. 204]
Petrucka, P. (2009). The Canadian health care system. In P. A. Potter, A. G. Perry, J. C. Ross-Kerr, & M. J. Wood (Eds.),
Canadian fundamentals of nursing (4th ed., pp. 14-27). Toronto, Canada: Elsevier Mosby.
chapter from an edited book, reprinted in a course pack with pagination
[APA p. 204]
Storch, J. (2007). Canadian health care system. In NURS 1111: Supplementary readings. Calgary, Canada: Mount Royal
College. (Reprinted from Health promotion in nursing practice, 5th ed., pp. 30-53, by M. McIntyre, B. Thomlinson,
& C. McDonald, Eds., 2006, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall)
**Note: In- text citations should include both dates and use the course pack page numbering if available. If the course pack
doesn’t have its own page numbers, use the original page number of the chapter, i.e. (Storch, 2006/2007, p. 30)
journal article, reprinted in a course pack with pagination
[APA p. 204]
Huntington, S. P. (2008). The clash of civilizations? In GNED 1301: Globalization (pp. 225-252). Calgary, Canada: Mount
Royal College. (Reprinted from Foreign Affairs, 72(3), pp. 22-49, 1993)
**Note: In text citation should include both dates and use the course pack page numbering if available, i.e. (Huntington,
1993/2008, p. 225)
article or definition in a print encyclopedia, author unknown
[APA p. 205]
Stroke. (2000). In Human diseases & conditions (Vol. 3, pp. 811-818). New York, NY: Charles Scribner’s Sons.
article or definition in a free or library-subscription web encyclopedia, author known
[APA p. 205]
Khouqeer, F. A. (2006). Privatization of health care. In Encyclopedia of health care management. Retrieved from
http://www.sage-ereference.com
Sample References: Periodical/Journal Articles
scholarly journal article with one author, paper-bound, DOI available
[APA p. 18, p. 199]
Woods, M. (2005). Nursing ethics education: Are we really delivering the good(s)? Nursing Ethics, 12, 5-18. doi:
10.1191/0969733005ne754oa
scholarly journal article, up to seven authors, from a library database, DOI available
[APA p. 192, p. 199]
Numminen, O. H., & Leino-Kilpi, H. (2007). Nursing students’ ethical decision-making: A review of the literature. Nurse
Education Today, 27, 796-807. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2009.07.013
scholarly journal article with more than seven authors, with DOI (print or from a database)
[APA p. 198]
Kallai, J., Makany, T., Csatho, A., Karadi, K., Horvath, D., Kovacs-Labadi, B., . . . Jacobs, J. W. (2007). Cognitive and
affective aspects of thigmotaxis strategy in humans. Behavioral Neuroscience, 121, 21-30. doi:10.1037/07357044.121.21
scholarly article with two authors, from a website, not from a library database
[APA pp. 191-192, p. 199]
Seal, N., & Yurkovich, E. (2009). Physical activity within rural families of overweight preschool children: A pilot. Online
Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care, 9(1), 56-68. Retrieved from http://www.rno.org/journal/index.php/
online-journal/article/view/178/228
newspaper article, with author, on multiple, discontinuous pages, print publication
[APA p. 200]
Fung, M. (2006, December 12). Asthma rates increasing. Winnipeg Free Press, pp. C4, C7-C8.
newspaper article, author unknown, web version, not from a library database
[APA p. 200]
New Zealand scraps short-stay rewards in maternity wards. (2007, November 27). Globe and Mail. Retrieved from
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
magazine article, with author, from a library database
[APA p. 200]
Gulli, C. (2007, August 27). Our girls are not guinea pigs. Maclean’s, 120(33), 38-42.
magazine article, with author, from a website
[APA p. 200]
Kinsel, L. (2010, April 10). Fat kids, cruel world. Newsweek. Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com/id/236704
Sample References: Websites
webpage on a website, with one author
[APA p. 192, pp. 205-206, FAQ]
Fayed, L. (2006). Garlic and cancer: Can garlic prevent cancer? Retrieved December 5, 2007, from http://cancer.about.com/
od/prevention/a/preventgarlic.htm
webpage on a website, author unknown
[APA p. 192, pp. 205-206, FAQ]
Basic principles of asepsis. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2007, from http://web.indstate.edu/mary/periop/
slide38.htm
webpage on a website, group or corporate author
[APA p. 192, pp. 205-206, FAQ]
World Health Organization. (2010). The WHO agenda. Retrieved September 5, 2009, from http://www.who.int/about/
agenda/en/index.ht
document on the website of an association
[APA p. 206, FAQ]
Canadian Nurses Association. (2008). Code of ethics for registered nurses. Retrieved from http://www.cnaaiic.ca/CNA/documents/pdf/publications/Code_of_Ethics_2008_e.pdf
blog post
[APA p. 215]
Markvoort, E. D. B. (2010, March 22). Pressure change [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://65redroses.livejournal.com/
138973.html
video blog post (YouTube)
[APA p. 215]
WaterbyrdFilmz. (2008, August 7). Nurse TV: Nursing makes a difference [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOiK5Cbz97U
Sample References: Other Kinds of Information Sources
document posted on a course website / Blackboard site
[APA pp. 205-206]
Doe, J. (2010). Week 3 – family health. Retrieved from Mount Royal University NURS 1000 Blackboard website:
http://courseware.mymrc.ca/courses/1/NURS-1000-089_Nursing/content/_85469_1/Week_3_Family_Health.ppt
government report, publisher same as the author, paper-bound
[APA p. 205]
Alberta Social Services and Community Health. (2005). Breaking the pattern: Understanding wife abuse. Edmonton,
Canada: Author.
government report on a website
[APA p. 204]
Health Canada. (2006). Health development of children and youth: The role of the determinants of health. Retrieved from
Public Health Agency of Canada Web site: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/dca-dea/publications/pdf/
child_and_youth_e.pdf
Statistics Canada data report, on a website
[APA p. 211]
Statistics Canada. (2007). Access to selected health care services (first contact services). Retrieved from
http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/health60a.htm
video, with producer and director identified
[APA p. 209]
Grupp, E. (Writer/Director) & Thibodeau, E. (Executive Producer). (2006). General survey, vital signs and skin [DVD].
United States: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
brochure, corporate author
[APA p. 186]
American College Health Association. (2005). Alcohol use and you: Decisions on tap [Brochure]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
legislation, on a website
[APA, p. 220]
Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46, s. 318(1). Retrieved from http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/laws/stat/rsc-1985-c-c46/latest/rsc-1985-c-c-46.html#318.-1
course material
School of Nursing. (2009). Practice reference guide. Calgary, Canada: Mount Royal University.
[APA p. 249, p. 251]