Dr. Patricia Morton Appointed Editor Emeritus of the Journal of Professional Nursing

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 29, 2026 – The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has announced that Patricia Gonce Morton, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FAAN, has been named Editor Emeritus of the Journal of Professional Nursing (JPN). Dr. Morton was recognized for her stewardship of the journal from 2012 to 2025 and for her commitment to advancing nursing scholarship, research, and education. This lifetime appointment is a rare honor that has been awarded only once before by the AACN Board of Directors since the organization was founded in 1969.

Dr. Patricia Gonce Morton is a distinguished academic leader who served as dean of the University of Utah College of Nursing from 2013 to 2018 and is now dean emerita. Before joining the University of Utah, she served as associate dean for academic programs at the University of Maryland School of Nursing and practiced as a board-certified acute care nurse practitioner. Prior to serving as JPN editor from 2012 to 2025, Dr. Morton edited AACN Clinical Issues: Advanced Practice in Acute and Critical Care for seven years. She has authored three textbooks, numerous book chapters, and more than 60 journal articles, and has served on the editorial boards of six nursing journals. Recognized for her contributions to nursing education, clinical practice, and scholarly publishing, Dr. Morton was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 1999. She was recently honored by the International Academy of Nursing Editors with the 2026 Margaret Comerford Freda Award for Editorial Leadership in Nursing Publication.

Under Dr. Morton’s leadership, JPN’s impact and influence has grown exponentially and now ranks among the top 15 scholarly nursing journals in the world. Over the last decade, annual manuscript submissions increased from 220 in 2013 to more than 1,500 in 2025, illustrating strong interest in this publication within the academic nursing community. Dr. Morton was committed throughout her tenure as editor to mentoring new authors and students who were unfamiliar with the publication process. She inspired a generation of early career faculty and researchers to disseminate their studies and strengthen the evidence base for nursing education and practice.

The Journal of Professional Nursing is AACN’s official scholarly publication that advances the association’s mission to shape the future of academic nursing and improve healthcare through excellence in nursing education, research, leadership, practice, and policy. To find out more about the journal and its editorial focus, click here.

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The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is the voice for academic nursing representing more than 890 member schools of nursing at public and private institutions nationwide. AACN works to establish quality standards for nursing education; assists schools in implementing those standards; influences the nursing profession to improve health care; and promotes public support for professional nursing education, research, and practice. Learn more at aacnnursing.org.