Hi there, @liz24.
QuickBooks only shows accounts instead of items in a journal entry. Let me discuss this to you in details.
When creating a journal entry, you can only use income, expense, asset, liability, and equity accounts. Thus, the journal report won't show items.
But if you want to enter transactions using journal entry, I suggest seeking help from your accountant. This way, they can offer you some advice on correct accounts to use. You can also read this article for more details: Create a Journal Entry.
In case you need tips and related articles in the future, visit our QuickBooks Community help website for reference: QBO Self-help.
It'll be our pleasure to help you with your other concerns. Have a great day.