AIM: The aim of this study was to examine the publication characteristics and development of Journal of Advanced Nursing during its 40-year history. BACKGROUND: Bibliometric studies of single journals have been performed, but to the best of our knowledge, bibliometric analysis and bibliometric mapping have not yet been used to analyse the literature production of the Journal of Advanced Nursing. DESIGN/METHOD: Using descriptive bibliometrics, we studied the dynamics and trend patterns of literature production and identified document types and the most prolific authors, papers, institutions and countries. Bibliometric mapping was used to visualize the content of published articles and determine the most prolific research terms and themes published in Journal of Advanced Nursing and their evolution through time. We were also interested in determining whether there were any 'Sleeping Beauties' among the articles published in the journal. RESULTS: The study revealed a positive trend in literature production, although recently, the number of articles published in Journal of Advanced Nursing has slightly decreased. The most productive institutions are from the United Kingdom, which ranks in the highest place in terms of successful publishing in the journal. Thematic analysis showed that the most prolific themes corresponded to the basic aims and scope of the journal. CONCLUSION: Journal of Advanced Nursing contributes to advances in nursing research, practice and education as well as the quality of health care, teamwork and family care, with an emphasis on knowledge transfer and partnership between various healthcare professionals.