Journal profile · NURSING
Clinical Simulation in Nursing
ISSN 1876-1399 · eISSN 1876-1402 · Elsevier Inc. · UNITED STATES
Clinical Simulation in Nursing: CAS Zone 3 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.38; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,210; review about 149 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 201 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Clinical Simulation in Nursing is published by Elsevier Inc. and is in Zone 3 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Simulation-Based Education in Healthcare, Innovations in Medical Education and Interprofessional Education and Collaboration, together about 52.8% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Clinical Simulation in Nursing is an international, peer-reviewed journal published online monthly. As the official journal of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL), Clinical Simulation in Nursing reflects its mission to advance the science of healthcare simulation. We will consider manuscripts from health professions other than nursing, if they are determined to be of interest to our readership.Articles are indexed in Journal Citation Reports, Scopus, and CINAHL.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): NURSING
Editor-in-chief Lisa McKennaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 16, Australia 9, Canada 8, United Kingdom 3, Norway 2 (44 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Simulation-Based Education in HealthcareMedicine36%
- Innovations in Medical EducationMedicine9%
- Interprofessional Education and CollaborationHealth Professions7.8%
- Patient Safety and Medication ErrorsHealth Professions7.2%
- Nursing education and managementNursing6.6%
- Education and Critical Thinking DevelopmentSocial Sciences3.7%
- Family and Patient Care in Intensive Care UnitsHealth Professions3.6%
- Cardiac Arrest and ResuscitationMedicine2.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Nursing | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Nursing | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Nursing | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
CINAHLPublisher website
Other: Journal Citation Reports
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 2.38LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.77LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.12LetPub ·
- h-index
- 32LetPub ·
- h-index
- 89OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 870OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.91OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 20.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 25.5%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 188LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,371 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 179 | 69 | 36 |
| 2025 | 201 | 85 | 727 |
| 2024 | 168 | 78 | 832 |
| 2023 | 110 | 43 | 1,016 |
| 2022 | 98 | 31 | 1,416 |
| 2021 | 147 | 53 | 5,400 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
149 dayssubmission to acceptance
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Submission to acceptance
- 149 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,210 / EUR 3,000 / GBP 2,570 / JPY 398,140 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,280 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 4,000 words
- Reference style
- APA
Article types accepted11, with length limits
- clinical and academic uses of health-related simulationClinical and academic uses of health-related simulationLength not stated
- editorialThe journal considers manuscripts meeting one or more of the following criteria:Primary research articles focused on clinical simulationStructured literature re…Length not stated
- editorialsEditorials: All editorials are commissioned, and we do not invite submissions under this category. These are not reviewed and are published at the discretion of…Length not stated
- innovations in simulationInnovations in simulation: Short descriptions of innovative and creative ways that simulation has been implemented in a variety of health or education settingsLength not stated
- literature reviewThe journal considers manuscripts meeting one or more of the following criteria:Primary research articles focused on clinical simulationStructured literature re…Length not stated
- original paperauthors are encouraged to be succinct. Original paper –3,500 words Review article – 4,000 words Research brief – 1,750 words Imain text ≤ 3,500 words
- primary research articles focused on clinical simulationPrimary research articles focused on clinical simulationLength not stated
- research articleThe journal considers manuscripts meeting one or more of the following criteria:Primary research articles focused on clinical simulationStructured literature re…Length not stated
- research briefsResearch briefs: Small-scale studies that may stimulate further investigations and alert other investigators of work in progressLength not stated
- review articlee succinct. Original paper –3,500 words Review article – 4,000 words Research brief – 1,750 words Innovations in Simulation – 1,main text ≤ 4,000 words
- structured literature reviewsStructured literature reviews (e.g. systematic, scoping, umbrella, integrative, etc.) about clinical simulationLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Declaration of generative AI in scientific writing
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship
Clinical Simulation in Nursing follows the ICMJE guidelines for definition of authorship: "Authorship credit should be based on:substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data;drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; andfinal approval of the version to be published (retrieved from https://www.…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include: EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Data linking Model summary
If you have made your research data available in a data repository, you can link your article directly to the dataset.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
ICMJE and COPE signatory Model summary
Clinical Simulation in Nursing is a signatory journal to the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals, issued by the International Committee for Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Code of Conduct for Editors and these guidelines are followed.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to complete a 'Journal Publishing Agreement' (see more information on this). An e-mail will be sent to the corresponding author confirming receipt of the manuscript together with a 'Journal Publishing Agreement' form or a link to the online version of this agreement.Subscribers may reproduce tables of contents or prepare lists of articles includ…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
Open access publishing Model summary
Please visit our Open Access page for more information about open access publishing in this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review
Double anonymized peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double anonymized review process. All papers are initially read by the Editor-in-Chief before being allocated to Associate Editors and sent out for peer review. Papers that are written below the standard for publication will be desk rejected by the Editor-in-Chief without obtaining peer review.If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to a minimum of t…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint references
Preprint references Model summary
Where a preprint has subsequently become available as a peer-reviewed publication, the formal publication should be used as the reference. If there are preprints that are central to your work or that cover crucial developments in the topic, but are not yet formally published, these may be referenced. Preprints should be clearly marked as such, for example by including the word preprint, or the nam…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Reporting guidelines
Manuscripts should adhere to recognized reporting guidelines, and these should be used to guide writing. Reporting guidelines are not methodologies or methods and should not be referenced in this way, they are reporting guidelines. Your study need not meet all criteria to be eligible for publication. Reporting guidelines recommended by the journal include: Simulation research - Cheng et al. (2016)…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1876-1399
- Electronic ISSN
- 1876-1402
- Society / sponsor
- International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation & Learning
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Clinical Simulation in Nursing
What CAS zone is Clinical Simulation in Nursing in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Clinical Simulation in Nursing is in Zone 3 of Medicine, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Nursing. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Clinical Simulation in Nursing?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.38; CiteScore 3.9, h-index 89.
How long does peer review take at Clinical Simulation in Nursing?
The publisher reports about 149 days (submission to acceptance). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Clinical Simulation in Nursing?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 4,000 words; Reference style: APA. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Clinical Simulation in Nursing based?
Of the 44 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (16), Australia (9) and Canada (8). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Clinical Simulation in Nursing?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Clinical Simulation in Nursing is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists CINAHL; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Clinical Simulation in Nursing open access, and what is the APC?
Clinical Simulation in Nursing is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,210.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .