Journal profile · Nursing
Nurse Education Today
ISSN 0260-6917 · eISSN 1532-2793 · Churchill Livingstone · SCOTLAND · Bimonthly · Founded 1981
Nurse Education Today: CAS Zone 2 · Education (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.69; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,010; median 171 days to acceptance (97 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 316 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Nurse Education Today is published by Churchill Livingstone and is in Zone 2 of Education in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Nursing education and management, Simulation-Based Education in Healthcare and Innovations in Medical Education, together about 40.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are General Health Professions. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Nurse Education Today is the leading international journal in nurse education providing a forum for the publication of high-quality original research, review and debate in nursing, midwifery and interprofessional healthcare education. Published articles advance educational theory and pedagogy and support the evidence-based practice of educationalists worldwide. The aim of the journal is to stimulate and value critical scholarly debate on issues that have strategic relevance for all stakeholders in healthcare education.The journal publishes the highest quality scholarly contributions reflecting the diversity of people, health, and education systems worldwide. Rigorous methodology is evident in research and review articles, with contemporary issues and big ideas articles addressing highly topical issues of concern in nursing, midwifery, and interprofessional healthcare education. Authors should show depth, rigour, originality, and high standards of presentation in highlighting work that is original, analytical, and constructively critical of both previous work and current initiatives. A double-blind peer review process is employed for all submissions and the current Impact Factor is 3.6 making it one of the leading nurse education journals (2021 Journal Citation Reports, Clarivate Analytics 2023)
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Nursing
Editor-in-chief Gemma StaceyPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 4%); most named United Kingdom 11, Australia 9, United States 7, Mainland China 2, Norway 2 (47 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Nursing education and managementNursing22.5%
- Simulation-Based Education in HealthcareMedicine10.6%
- Innovations in Medical EducationMedicine7.8%
- Interprofessional Education and CollaborationHealth Professions7.5%
- Cultural Competency in Health CareSocial Sciences4.8%
- Nursing Education, Practice, and LeadershipNursing3.3%
- Health Sciences Research and EducationHealth Professions3.3%
- Nursing Roles and PracticesHealth Professions3.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Education Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Education | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Nursing | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Education, Scientific Disciplines | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Education Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Education | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Education, Scientific Disciplines | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Nursing | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Nursing | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Education, Scientific Disciplines | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
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
- 4.69LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 8.7LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 8.7Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.43LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.07LetPub ·
- h-index
- 65LetPub ·
- h-index
- 166OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 4,850OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 5.25OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 36.78%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 283LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 8,896 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 402 | 163 | 225 |
| 2025 | 316 | 141 | 1,649 |
| 2024 | 371 | 197 | 3,839 |
| 2023 | 300 | 119 | 5,709 |
| 2022 | 362 | 147 | 8,364 |
| 2021 | 427 | 150 | 13,394 |
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
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
171 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 129 days – 232 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (97 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 173 days
- Sample
- 97 articles with submission and acceptance dates (866 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 3–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 8 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 88 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 167 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 3 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 4,010 / EUR 3,750 / GBP 3,210 / JPY 497,360 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,420 | — | — |
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)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare8 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 300 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Templates
- Word
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted8, with length limits
- big ideasThe Editors of Nurse Education Today welcome the submission of the following types of manuscripts: research, contemporary issues, big ideas, systematic reviews,…Length not stated
- contemporary issuesThe Editors of Nurse Education Today welcome the submission of the following types of manuscripts: research, contemporary issues, big ideas, systematic reviews,…Length not stated
- letterThe Editors of Nurse Education Today welcome the submission of the following types of manuscripts: research, contemporary issues, big ideas, systematic reviews,…Length not stated
- other types of systematised reviewsThe Editors of Nurse Education Today welcome the submission of the following types of manuscripts: research, contemporary issues, big ideas, systematic reviews,…Length not stated
- researchThe Editors of Nurse Education Today welcome the submission of the following types of manuscripts: research, contemporary issues, big ideas, systematic reviews,…Length not stated
- reviewThe Editors of Nurse Education Today welcome the submission of the following types of manuscripts: research, contemporary issues, big ideas, systematic reviews,…main text ≤ 6,000 words
- systematic reviewThe Editors of Nurse Education Today welcome the submission of the following types of manuscripts: research, contemporary issues, big ideas, systematic reviews,…Length not stated
- systematic reviewsThe Editors of Nurse Education Today welcome the submission of the following types of manuscripts: research, contemporary issues, big ideas, systematic reviews,…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
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 Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
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 ·- Publication ethics
Ethics in publishing Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
Open access options available Model summary
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Double anonymized peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Reporting guidelines endorsed by the journal are listed below:
Observational cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies - STROBE - Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology http://www.equator-network.org/index.aspx?o=1032 Experimental studies, better reporting of interventions: template for intervention description and replication (TIDieR)checklist and guide: https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/tidier/ Quasi-e…
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
- Churchill Livingstone
- Country or region
- SCOTLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1981
- ISSN
- 0260-6917
- Electronic ISSN
- 1532-2793
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Nurse Education Today
What CAS zone is Nurse Education Today in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Nurse Education Today is in Zone 2 of Education, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Nursing / Education, Scientific Disciplines. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Education. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Nurse Education Today?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.69; CiteScore 8.7, h-index 166.
How long does peer review take at Nurse Education Today?
Based on the dates recorded on 97 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 171 days (interquartile range 129–232 days); authors report an average review time of 3–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. 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 Nurse Education Today?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 300 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Author–date; Templates: Word; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Required. 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 Nurse Education Today based?
Of the 47 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (11), Australia (9) and United States (7). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Nurse Education Today?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Nurse Education Today is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Is Nurse Education Today open access, and what is the APC?
Nurse Education Today is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,010.
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: .