Journal of Professional Nursing

The Journal of Professional Nursing (JPN) is the official journal of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and advances AACN’s mission to shape the future of academic nursing and improve healthcare through excellence in nursing education, research, leadership, practice, and policy.

JPN publishes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship that informs and advances baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral, and post-doctoral nursing education and the professional formation of nurses. The journal serves academic leaders, faculty, researchers, practice partners, and policy influencers committed to preparing nurses to meet the evolving needs of patients, communities, and health systems.

JPN welcomes manuscripts that:

• Present original research (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and implementation science) that advances knowledge in nursing education and academic leadership relevant to U.S. schools of nursing

• Examine curricular innovation, competency-based education, clinical experiences, and teaching-learning strategies, including simulation, technology-enhanced learning, and emerging pedagogies

• Address faculty development, workforce trends, leadership preparation, and academic-practice partnerships

• Analyze policy, accreditation, regulation, and funding issues that influence nursing education and the nursing workforce

• Explore strategies for ensuring access to all within academic and clinical learning environments

• Evaluate outcomes related to professional formation, clinical readiness, population health, systems leadership, and interprofessional education

• Provide evidence syntheses, state-of-the-science reviews, and policy analyses relevant to AACN priorities

JPN particularly encourages submissions that demonstrate methodological rigor, measurable outcomes, and implications for national nursing education policy and practice.

As AACN’s scholarly platform, JPN supports innovation and thought leadership aligned with AACN initiatives, including competency-based education, advanced nursing practice, leadership development, and strengthening the academic nursing workforce.