AACN DOMAINS FOR NURSING
Question and Answers Updated 2026
Domain 1: Knowledge for Nursing Practice – Answer-integration, translation, and application of
established and evolving disciplinary nursing knowledge and ways of knowing, as well as knowledge
from other disciplines, including a foundation in liberal arts and natural and social sciences. This
distinguishes the practice of professional nursing and forms the basis for clinical judgment and
innovation in nursing practice.
Contextual Statement: Knowledge of Nursing Practice provides the context for understanding
nursing as a scientific discipline. The lens of nursing, informed by nursing history, knowledge, and
science, reflects nursing's desire to incorporate multiple perspectives into nursing practice, leading
to nursing's unique way of knowing and caring.
Domain 2: Person-Centered Care – Answer-Person-centered care focuses on the individual within
multiple complicated contexts, including family and/or important others. Person-centered care is
holistic, individualized, just, respectful, compassionate, coordinated, evidence-based, and
developmentally appropriate. Person-centered care builds on a scientific body of knowledge that
guides nursing practice regardless of specialty or functional area.
Contextual Statement: Person-centered care is the core purpose of nursing as a discipline. This
purpose intertwines with any functional area of nursing practice, from the point of care where the
hands of those that give and receive care meet, to the point of systems-level nursing leadership.
Domain 3: Population Health - AnswerPopulation health spans the healthcare delivery continuum
from public health prevention to disease management of populations and describes collaborative
activities with both traditional and non-traditional partnerships from affected communities, public
health, industry, academia, health care, local government entities, and others for the improvement
of equitable population health outcomes
Contextual Statement:
-Nurses play a critical role in advocating for, developing, and implementing policies that impact
population health globally and locally. In addition, nurses respond to crises and provide care during
emergencies, disasters, epidemics, or pandemics. The purpose of these collaborative activities,
including development of interventions and policies, is to strive towards health equity and improved
health for all.
Domain 4: Scholarship for Nursing Practice - AnswerThe generation, synthesis, translation,
application, and dissemination of nursing knowledge to improve health and transform health care.
Question and Answers Updated 2026
Domain 1: Knowledge for Nursing Practice – Answer-integration, translation, and application of
established and evolving disciplinary nursing knowledge and ways of knowing, as well as knowledge
from other disciplines, including a foundation in liberal arts and natural and social sciences. This
distinguishes the practice of professional nursing and forms the basis for clinical judgment and
innovation in nursing practice.
Contextual Statement: Knowledge of Nursing Practice provides the context for understanding
nursing as a scientific discipline. The lens of nursing, informed by nursing history, knowledge, and
science, reflects nursing's desire to incorporate multiple perspectives into nursing practice, leading
to nursing's unique way of knowing and caring.
Domain 2: Person-Centered Care – Answer-Person-centered care focuses on the individual within
multiple complicated contexts, including family and/or important others. Person-centered care is
holistic, individualized, just, respectful, compassionate, coordinated, evidence-based, and
developmentally appropriate. Person-centered care builds on a scientific body of knowledge that
guides nursing practice regardless of specialty or functional area.
Contextual Statement: Person-centered care is the core purpose of nursing as a discipline. This
purpose intertwines with any functional area of nursing practice, from the point of care where the
hands of those that give and receive care meet, to the point of systems-level nursing leadership.
Domain 3: Population Health - AnswerPopulation health spans the healthcare delivery continuum
from public health prevention to disease management of populations and describes collaborative
activities with both traditional and non-traditional partnerships from affected communities, public
health, industry, academia, health care, local government entities, and others for the improvement
of equitable population health outcomes
Contextual Statement:
-Nurses play a critical role in advocating for, developing, and implementing policies that impact
population health globally and locally. In addition, nurses respond to crises and provide care during
emergencies, disasters, epidemics, or pandemics. The purpose of these collaborative activities,
including development of interventions and policies, is to strive towards health equity and improved
health for all.
Domain 4: Scholarship for Nursing Practice - AnswerThe generation, synthesis, translation,
application, and dissemination of nursing knowledge to improve health and transform health care.
