Get your Journal of Clinical Nursing paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
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Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 25 July, 2026
Submitting to Journal of Clinical Nursing goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Journal of Clinical Nursing guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Journal of Clinical Nursing. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the Journal of Clinical Nursing journal page before you draft.
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the Journal of Clinical Nursing guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the Journal of Clinical Nursing guide for authors before you submit.
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through ScholarOne / Research Exchange.
| Element | CN requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Structured abstract with mandatory headings: Aim(s) (state 'To...'), Design, Keywords, Methods, Data Sources (for reviews only, include search dates), Results, Conclusion, Implications for the profession and/or patient care, Impact (addressing what problem, main findings, where/whom impact), Reporting Method (EQUATOR adherence), Patient or Public Contribution (or 'No Patient or Public Contribution'), What does this paper contribute to the wider global clinical community (1-3 bullet points), Trial and Protocol Registration (for trials). Maximum 300 words. No abbreviations. Do not report p values, confidence intervals, or other statistical parameters. Brief Reports, Commentary, Letter to the Editor, and Editorial do not include abstracts. |
| Main text | Section order and length per article type |
| Declarations | Ethics, competing interests, funding, data as required |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Up to 10 keywords, selected during the submission process |
| References | American Psychological Association (APA) Reference Style. Free format submission allows any consistent reference style at initial submission; typesetter will format to APA. All references must be in English. Reference limits by article type: Clinical Trial/Empirical Research/Feasibility/Pilot Study/Discursive/Research Methodology: 35 or fewer (justification in cover letter if more needed); Review Articles: Negotiable; Concept: 60 or fewer; Commentary: 5 or fewer; Letter to Editor/Editorial: 5 or fewer. |
| Peer review | Double-blind (double-anonymous) peer review model. Authors must anonymize their manuscripts. At least two anonymous reviewers and an Associate, Guest, or other Editor review each manuscript. Optional Transparent Peer Review available where reviewer reports, author responses, and editor's decision letters are published on Publons and linked from the article (reviewers can remain anonymous or sign reports). |
| Submission | authorservices.wiley.com |
Read the Journal of Clinical Nursing guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to Journal of Clinical Nursing in under a page.
Skim two or three recent CN papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the Journal of Clinical Nursing journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Journal of Clinical Nursing guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through ScholarOne / Research Exchange.