title: Normalizing Rejection.
abstract: Getting turned down for grant funding or having a manuscript rejected is an uncomfortable but not unusual occurrence during the course of a nurse researcher's professional life. Rejection can evoke an emotional response akin to the grieving process that can slow or even undermine productivity. Only by "normalizing" rejection, that is, by accepting it as an integral part of the scientific process, can researchers more quickly overcome negative emotions and instead use rejection to refine and advance their scientific programs. This article provides practical advice for coming to emotional terms with rejection and delineates methods for working constructively to address reviewer comments.
authors.affiliation: University of Missouri, Columbia, USA conn@missouri.edu.
authors.forename: Vicki S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Conn
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago, USA.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zerwic
authors.affiliation: University of Missouri, Columbia, USA.
authors.forename: Urmeka
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jefferson
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus, USA.
authors.forename: Cindy M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Cheryl M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Killion
authors.affiliation: University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, USA.
authors.forename: Carol E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, USA.
authors.forename: Marlene Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: South Dakota State University, Brookings, USA.
authors.forename: Nancy L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Fahrenwald
authors.affiliation: South Dakota State University, Brookings, USA.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Herrick
authors.affiliation: Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Topp
authors.affiliation: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, USA.
authors.forename: Lazelle E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Benefield
authors.affiliation: University of Missouri, Columbia, USA.
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Loya
mesh_terms: D001319:Authorship; D000066498:Emotional Adjustment; D006801:Humans; D008611:Mentors; D015399:Nursing Research; D010380:Peer Review; D012059:Rejection, Psychology; D012108:Research Personnel
keywords: financing; organized; peer review research; publications