It publishes original research and scholarship about health-care delivery, organisation, management, workforce, policy and research methods relevant to in the fields of nursing, midwifery and related health professions.

[1] The journal was established in 1963 and was originally published on a quarterly basis by Pergamon Press.

Wilson stepped down in 1982 and was replaced by Rosemary Crow (Northwick Park Hospital) and Caroline Cox (University of London).

[3] Cox stepped down in 1992,[4] and Crow (then at the University of Surrey), remained as sole editor-in-chief for a further eight years, a total of 18 years making her the longest-serving editor to date.

From 2000 to 2004, Jenifer Wilson-Barnett (King's College London) was editor.