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A study on clinical nursing research trends and hotspots based on bibliometric
analysis
Shi-Fan Han, Rui-Fang Zhu, Ting-Ting Qin
PII: S2095-7718(17)30035-X
DOI: 10.1016/j.cnre.2017.04.001
Reference: CNR 92
To appear in: Chinese Nursing Research
Received Date: 16 January 2017
Revised Date: 5 March 2017
Accepted Date: 3 April 2017
Please cite this article as: Han SF, Zhu RF, Qin TT, A study on clinical nursing research trends
and hotspots based on bibliometric analysis, Chinese Nursing Research (2017), doi: 10.1016/
j.cnre.2017.04.001.
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☆☆
☆
This project was supported by Scientific Research Project of Shanxi Provincial
Health Department, China (No. 201201031).
*Corresponding author.
E-mail address:
ruiruinuli@163.com
(S.F. Han).
Cited information: Han SF, Zhu RF, Qin TT. A study on clinical nursing research
trends and hotspots based on bibliometric analysis. Chin Nurs Res. 2017; 2: xx-xx.
Original article
A study on clinical nursing research trends and hotspots based on bibliometric
analysis
☆
☆☆
☆
Shi-Fan Han
a,
*, Rui-Fang Zhu
a, b
, Ting-Ting Qin
c
a
First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
b
College of Nursing, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
c
Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
A R T I C L E I N F O
Article history:
Received 16 January 2017
Received in revised form 5 March 2017
Accepted 3 April 2017
Published 20 June 2017
Keywords:
Clinical nursing
Keywords
Research hotspots
Bibliometrics
Cluster analysis
Co-occurrence analysis
ABSTRACT:
Objective: This study was conducted to understand the trends and research hotspots
of clinical nursing in China and abroad, thereby to provide guidance for nursing
practice and studies.
Methods: We retrieved clinical nursing literature (excluding literature related to
psychological nursing and traditional Chinese medicine nursing) cited in Wanfang
Data (www.wanfangdata.com.cn) and PubMed between 2007 and 2015 and
subsequently performed bibliometric analyses on article volume, journal, clustering of
high-frequency keywords, and co-occurrence of keywords.
Results: A total of 10374 publications, excluding those related to psychological
nursing, were retrieved via a PubMed search. The literature displayed a rising trend in
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terms of annual publication volume. The journal distribution of clinical nursing
publications overall was consistent with Bradford’s Law. The main contents of
clinical nursing literature between 2007 and 2009 included: (1) studies on effects of
the midwife and midwifery methods for natural childbirth; (2) studies on emergency
nursing care; (3) studies on dementia care; (4) studies on bandage dressing in trauma
nursing; and (5) studies on quality of life in cancer patients nursing. The main
contents of clinical nursing literature between 2010 and 2012 included: (1) studies on
obstetric nurse-patient relationships; (2) studies on patients’ medical team in stroke
nursing; (3) studies on cancer nursing methods; (4) studies on nursing patients with
trauma related to urinary incontinence; and (5) studies on the quality of life of
caregivers of dementia patients. The main contents of clinical nursing literature
between 2013 and 2015 included (1) studies on skin care and bandaging in trauma
nursing; (2) studies on evidence-based nursing in AIDS care; (3) studies on nurses’
role in obstetric nurse-patient relationships; studies on cancer nursing methods; (4)
studies on nursing for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia; and (5) studies on caregivers
and nursing of stroke patients. A Wanfang Data search retrieved a total of 85570
publications, whose volume also exhibited an annual rising trend, in particular with
regard to those in core journals. However, percentage of total publication volume,
mean cited frequency per article, and total ranking of clinical nursing publications
overall displayed a decreasing trend. The main contents of clinical nursing literature
between 2007 and 2009 included: (1) diabetes nursing; (2) nursing for cancer; (3)
nursing for senility-related diseases; (4) nursing in the event of complications; (5)
nursing for hypertension; (6) studies on quality of life after nursing interventions; (7)
chemotherapy nursing; (8) studies on compliance after nursing interventions; (9)
constipation nursing; and (10) nursing for stroke patients. The main contents of
clinical nursing literature between 2010 and 2012 included: (1) diabetes nursing; (2)
nursing for cancer; (3) nursing for senility-related diseases; (4) studies on quality of
life after nursing interventions; (5) nursing in the event of complications; (6) nursing
for hypertension; (7) prevention nursing; (8) perioperative nursing; (9) pain nursing;
and (10) studies on compliance after nursing interventions. The main contents of
clinical nursing literature between 2013 and 2015 included: (1) diabetes nursing; (2)
nursing in the event of complications; (3) cancer nursing; (4) studies on quality of life
after nursing interventions; (5) nursing for stroke patients; (6) nursing for the elderly;
(7) studies on compliance after nursing interventions; (8) nursing for hypertension; (9)
constipation nursing; and (10) prevention nursing.
Conclusions: Clinical nursing research in China is in a rapid development stage as
defined by Price’s law whereby there is a rapid growth in publication volume. By
comparison, clinical nursing research in developed countries is in the stable
development stage or maturation phase, which is characterized by a flat curve of
publication volume and stable development rate. There is a gap of 25-30 years
between China and these countries in terms of the growth phases of clinical nursing
literature.
1. Introduction
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As society is undergoing a substantial transition in medical models from
biological to psychological and social, the concept of holistic nursing is increasingly
valued. Psychological nursing and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) nursing are
thus attracting increased attention from clinical nursing workers. In addition, clinical
nursing is witnessing continuous horizontal and longitudinal development, whereby
the discipline is gradually becoming a knowledge system network that is multi-level
and comprehensive.
1-3
Nursing literature summarizes nursing research, application
success, and clinical practices and to a certain degree reflects the discipline’s
developmental status and research level in terms of its quantity and quality.
4
In this
study, we not only examined the clinical nursing literature, excluding psychological
nursing and TCM nursing, but also attempted to understand the discipline’s
developmental trends and research hotspots. Our study may provide reference points
for clinical nursing practices and research.
2. Objects and methods
2.1. Study objectives
2.1.1. Study objectives in the international literature
We used the search terms (nursing [MeSH Subheading]) NOT psychology
[MeSH Subheading]) NOT (“organization and administration” [MeSH Terms]) NOT
education [MeSH Terms])NOT economics [MeSH Terms]) NOT history [MeSH
Terms])NOT ethics [MeSH Terms]) NOT nursing theory[MeSH Terms]) NOT
Legislation [MeSH Terms]) NOT nursing process [MeSH Terms]) NOT Chinese
[Language]) and the filters Publication date from January 1st 2007 to December 31th
2015 and Humans to search the publications in PubMed between 2007 and 2015 and
obtained 10374 publications.
2.1.2. Study objects in the Chinese literature
We searched Wanfang Data using the following entries: “subject: nursing
intervention; title or keywords: psychology, traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese
and Western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine nursing, massage nursing,
nursing management, nursing ethics, nursing education, and * Date: 2007-2015.” We
obtained 85570 publications in clinical nursing.
2.2. Methods
2.2.1. Methods for international literature
The data derived from the PubMed search were analyzed via frequency analyses
for publication volume, journals, and keywords and sub-keywords using the BICOMB
software. In addition, graphic clustering software gClutowas used to perform
visualized cluster analysis for high-frequency keywords.
2.2.2. Methods for Chinese literature
The Wanfang Data-derived reports were analyzed via frequency analyses for
publication volume, journals, and keywords using statistical software in Wanfang
Data. In addition, Netdraw was employed to perform social network analysis for
high-frequency co-occurrence keywords, thereby generating a visualized network.
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3. Results
3.1. Analysis of publication volume
3.1.1. Analysis of publication volume abroad
For the period of 2007-2015, we retrieved a total of 10374 clinical nursing
(excluding psychological nursing) articles from the PubMed database. There were
14982 clinical nursing articles if psychological nursing was included, and the total
number of nursing publications was 34839 (Table 1). In addition, the number of
clinical nursing publications between 1964 and 2014 in PubMed was used to plot the
annual accumulated publications (Fig. 1).
Table 1.
Statistics of clinical nursing literature retrieved from PubMed between 2007 and
2015.
Year Clinical nursing publications
(excl. psychological nursing)
Clinical nursing
publications (incl.
psychological nursing)
Nursing
publications
2007 921 1299 3819
2008 940 1337 3847
2009 1166 1596 3845
2010 1191 1676 4248
2011 1367 1953 4485
2012 1370 1955 4423
2013 1563 2148 4532
2014 1240 1884 3681
2015 616 1134 1959
Fig. 1. Accumulated clinical nursing publications (excluding psychological nursing)
retrieved from PubMed.
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000
45000
50000
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Accumulated publications
Years
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3.1.2. Analysis of publication volume in China
For the period of 2007-2015, we retrieved a total of 85570 publications in
clinical nursing, excluding those related to psychological nursing, from Wanfang Data.
The total number of clinical nursing publications was 98313 including those related to
psychological nursing, and the total number of nursing publications was 625298
(Table 2). The data between 1998 and 2014 were collected from Wanfang Data to plot
annual accumulated publications (Fig. 2).
Table 2.
Statistics of clinical nursing literature retrieved from Wanfang Data between
2007 and 2015.
Year Clinical nursing
publications (excl.
psychological nursing)
Clinical nursing publications
(incl. psychological nursing) Nursing
publications
2007 1610 1891 86638
2008 2313 2714 91947
2009 3358 3895 97628
2010 5057 5943 90186
2011 7223 8243 71835
2012 11367 13030 64139
2013 16535 17176 50175
2014 19792 21127 39894
2015 18315 23967 32856
Fig. 2. Accumulated clinical nursing publication (excluding psychological nursing)
retrieved from Wanfang Data.
3.2. Journal distribution of the publications
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016
Accumulated publications in Chinese
Years
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3.2.1. Analysis of international journal distribution
Our results reveal that the journal distribution of clinical nursing literature in
PubMed between 2007 and 2015 overall was consistent with Bradford’s Law. There
were 10374 publications during this period, published in 954 journals. Among these
publications, 3440 nursing articles, accounting for 33.15% of all the clinical nursing
literature, were found in the top 16 ranking international and Chinese journals,
accounting for 1.68% of the 954 journals. All top 16 ranking journals were nursing
journals, all of which were retrieved using “nursing*” as the keyword. Three journals
were SCI journals, and the highest impact factor was 1.233.
3.2.2. Analysis of Chinese journal distribution
We statistically analyzed the 2007-2015 data and plotted the journal distribution
as well as core journal distribution of the literature. Our results revealed that the
volume of literature in the 12 core Chinese journals displayed gradual growth over the
years. However, the percentage of publication volume, mean citation frequency, and
total ranking of the core journals all exhibited a downward trend.
3.3. Analysis of literature content
3.3.1. Cluster analysis of high-frequency keywords in the international literature
3.3.1.1. Cluster analysis of high-frequency keywords in the literature published
between 2007-2009 (Fig. 3, Fig. 4)
Fig. 3. Double-cluster visualization hill plot for high-frequency keywords in the
international clinical nursing literature between 2007 and 2009 retrieved from
PubMed.
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Fig. 4. Results of double cluster analysis of high-frequency keywords in the
international clinical nursing literature between 2007 and 2009 retrieved from
PubMed.
The cluster analysis results of the visualization matrix were consistent with those
of the visualization hill plot. The high-frequency keywords in the 2007-2009 PubMed
clinical nursing literature were analyzed using a matrix cluster and generated five
categories via both approaches. The double-cluster visualization analysis results in
conjunction with a literature review were used to elucidate the research hotspots and
focal points of the international clinical nursing literature. The five categories of
clinical nursing literature were (1) studies on the effect of the midwife and midwifery
methods on natural childbirth; (2) studies on emergency nursing care; (3) studies on
dementia care; (4) studies on bandage dressing in trauma nursing; and (5) studies on
quality of life in cancer nursing.
3.3.1.2. Cluster analysis of high-frequency keywords in the literature between 2010
and 2012 (Fig. 5, Fig. 6)
Fig.5. Double-cluster visualization hillplot for high-frequency keywords inthe
international clinical nursing literature between 2010 and 2012 retrieved from
PubMed.
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Fig. 6. Results of double cluster analysis of high-frequency keywords in the
international clinical nursing literature between 2010 and 2012 retrieved from
PubMed.
The cluster analysis results of the visualization matrix matched that of the
visualization hillplot. The high-frequency keywords in the 2010-2012 PubMed-cited
clinical nursing literature were analyzed using amatrix cluster and generated five
categories via both approaches. The double-cluster visualization analysis results along
with a literature review were used to elucidate the research hotspots and focal points
of international clinical nursing. The five categories of clinical nursing literature were
(1) studies on obstetric nurse-patient relationships; (2) studies on patients’ medical
team in stroke nursing; (3) studies on cancer nursing methods; (4) studies on nursing
patients with trauma related to urinary incontinence; and (5) studies on the quality of
life of caregivers of dementia patients.
3.3.1.3. Cluster analysis of high-frequency keywords in the literature published
between 2013-2015 (Fig. 7, Fig. 8)
Fig. 7. Double-cluster visualization hill plot for high-frequency keywords inthe
international clinical nursing literature between 2013 and 2015 retrieved
fromPubMed.
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Fig. 8. Results of double cluster analysis of high-frequency keywords in the
international clinical nursing literature between 2013 and 2015 retrieved from
PubMed.
The cluster analysis results of the visualization matrix matched that of the
visualization hill plot. The high-frequency keywords in the 2013-2015 PubMed
clinical nursing literature were analyzed using a matrix cluster and generated six
categories via both approaches. The double-cluster visualization analysis results along
with a literature review were used to elucidate the research hotspots and focal points
of international clinical nursing. The six categories of clinical nursing literature
were(1) studies on skin care and bandaging in trauma nursing; (2) studies on
evidenced-based nursing in AIDS care; (3) studies on nurses’ role in obstetric
nurse-patient relationships;(4)studies on cancer nursing methods;(5) studies on
nursing for Alzheimer’s and dementia; and (6) studies on caregivers and nursing of
stroke patients.
3.3.2. Co-occurrence analysis of high-frequency keywords in the Chinese literature
The results reveal that the main contents of the Chinese clinical nursing literature
published between 2007 and 2009 (Fig. 9) included:(1) diabetes nursing; (2) nursing
for cancer; (3) nursing for senility-related diseases; 4) nursing in the event of
complications; (5) nursing for hypertension; (6) studies on quality of life after nursing
interventions; (7) chemotherapy nursing; (8) studies on compliance after nursing
interventions; (9) constipation nursing; and (10) nursing for strokes.
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Fig. 9. Co-occurrence network map of high-frequency keywords in the Chinese
clinical nursing literature between 2007-2009 retrieved from Wanfang Data.
The results reveal that the main contents of Chinese clinical nursing literature
published between 2010 and 2012 (Fig. 10) included:(1) diabetes nursing; (2) nursing
for cancer; (3) nursing for senility-related diseases; (4) studies on quality of life after
nursing interventions; (5) nursing in the event of complications; (6) nursing for
hypertension; (7) prevention nursing; (8) perioperative nursing;(9) pain nursing; and
(10) studies on compliance after nursing interventions.
Fig. 10. Co-occurrence network map of high-frequency keywords in the Chinese
clinical nursing literature between 2010-2012 retrieved from Wanfang Data.
The results show that the main contents of Chinese clinical nursing literature
published between 2013 and 2015 (Fig. 11) included:(1) diabetes nursing; (2) nursing
in the event of complications; (4) cancer nursing; 4) studies on quality of life after
nursing interventions; (5) nursing for strokes; (6) nursing for the elderly; (7) studies
on compliance after nursing interventions; (8) nursing for hypertension; (9)
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constipation nursing; and (10) prevention nursing.
Fig. 11. Co-occurrence network map of high-frequency keywords in the Chinese
clinical nursing literature between 2013-2015 retrieved from Wanfang Data.
4. Discussion
4.1. Trend in publication volume
The growth pattern of literature is a common indicator to evaluate disciplinary
development.
5
Using comprehensive and historical statistical analyses of publication
volume in a discipline and plotting its growth curve, we may assess the developmental
phase of a discipline and provide an approximate estimate of its future trend.
6
It can be inferred from Table 1 that between 2007 and 2015, three categories of
international nursing publications retrieved from PubMed displayed stable annual
growth. The clinical nursing literature (excluding psychological nursing) manifested
stable annual growth and increased in proportion to the general nursing literature. In
addition, data in Table 2 indicates that between 2007 and 2015, three categories of
nursing publications in China retrieved from Wanfang Data displayed stable annual
growth. Our results reveal that the clinical nursing literature (excluding that of
psychological nursing) manifested stable annual growth and increased in proportion to
the general nursing literature. Fig. 1 indicates that the rapid growth phase in the
international clinical nursing literature occurred between 1975-1990. In comparison,
the rapid growth phase in the Chinese literature cited occurred between 2005 and
2015.
According to Price’s law, the international clinical nursing literature is currently
in the third stage, namely, stable development, or the maturation stage, which is
characterized by an almost flat curve of publication volume and stable development.
9
In contrast, the Chinese clinical nursing literature is in the second stage of
development featuring rapid growth in publication volume.
4.2. Literature distribution in journals
Journals are the carriers of scientific publications. Thus, statistical analyses on
relevant research journals may facilitate a better assessment of the development status
of the clinical nursing literature.
8
Using the Bradford’s Law-based classification of
core journals, the international clinical nursing literature retrieved from PubMed was
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grouped into different groups.
9, 10
The results revealed that between 2007 and 2015, the clinical nursing
publications retrieved from PubMed were highly concentrated in the first group and
highly dispersed in the third group, which agrees with Bradford’s Law overall. Of the
16 core journals, 3 were SCI journals, and the highest impact factor was 1.233. The
three journals published 568 articles, accounting for 16.51% of all publications. With
regard to Chinese clinical nursing literature, the mean cited frequency per article in
the core journals as well as the ranks of the core journals displayed a downward trend
when comparing the periods of 2007-2009, 2010-2012, and 2013-2015.
4.3. Research hotspots of Chinese and international clinical nursing literature
4.3.1. Research hotspots of international clinical nursing literature
Examination of the results of cluster analysis (frequency) derived from gCluto
software along with an examination of the relevant literature enabled us to identify the
research hotspots of international clinical nursing research between 2007 and 2015,
which included seven categories, namely, nursing for cancer diseases, trauma nursing,
dementia nursing, obstetric nursing, emergency nursing, stroke nursing, and AIDS
nursing. Among these, cancer nursing displayed a decrease in ranking over the three
periods (2007-2009, 2010-2012, and 2013-2015), with the main research content
transitioning from emphasizing quality of life to studying nursing methods. In
addition, trauma nursing also showed a decrease in ranking over the three periods,
with the main research content transitioning from care for urinary incontinence to
bandaging. Dementia nursing experienced decrease in rank over the three periods as
well, with the main research content changing from dementia care to quality of life of
caregivers of dementia patients. Obstetric nursing showed a decreased ranking during
the first two periods and involved two main areas of research: effects of the midwife
and midwifery methods on natural childbirth and nurse-patient relationships; obstetric
nursing did not enter the top 6 between 2013 and 2015. Emergency nursing ranked
fifth during the first period, with the main focus being emergency nursing methods;
during the second and third periods, the research area did not rank among the top six.
Stroke nursing ranked fifth during the second period, with research hotspots
transitioning from studying the medical team instroke nursing to caregivers of stroke
patients. AIDS nursing ranked sixth during the third period, with the main focus on
evidence-based care. In summary, cancer nursing, trauma nursing, and emergency
nursing all displayed decreases in ranking over time, and emergency nursing did not
enter the top 5. In contrast, dementia nursing and obstetric nursing showed a gradual
rise in ranking. Finally, AIDS evidence-based care and stroke entered the top 6 most
researched hotspots areas.
As people are experiencing social changes and rising living standards, the
incidence of cancer and resulting mortality have also increased. In addition, in recent
years cancer has been the top cause of death in the population. It has been reported
that by 2020, the predicted cancer incidence would be 15 million new cases per year.
Compared with China, certain countries have a longer history of cancer research and
relevant research organizations. The research attention to cancer nursing in these
countries has been diminishing in recent years. This may be due to their relative early
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history of cancer nursing practices, more advanced research, mature professional
development, and a comprehensive system of disciplines. Different countries and
regions exhibit considerable variation in the development of their emergency medical
systems, as certain developed countries and regions started early and experienced
rapid development and display a high level of international cooperation as well as a
comprehensive emergency rescue system comprising land, sea, and air missions. Such
well-developed emergency care systems could be a cause of reduced research
activities in clinical nursing in these countries. In contrast, dementia nursing, obstetric
nursing, and stroke nursing are witnessing increased research activity, which might be
due to demographic and policy changes occurring in developed countries, such as the
advent of an aging society, government-sponsored stimulation of population growth,
and enhanced quality of life requirements. Dementia and stroke are the major causes
of elderly death and disability and thus severely threaten quality of life and even
survival. It has been reported that the incidences of dementia and stroke have been
rising worldwide and that their occurrence in developed countries is significantly
higher than in developing countries. Hence, studies on dementia and dementia nursing
are currently in the spotlight in developed countries. The increased research activity
with regard to evidenced-based nursing for AIDS can be explained by two factors.
First, AIDS, which is not curable, has a relatively high prevalence in developed
countries. Second, evidenced-based nursing has been enjoying robust growth, and its
efficacy is highly praised. Correspondingly, health care researchers employ
evidence-based methods in nursing studies, which can effectively improve work
efficiency and clinical outcomes.
4.3.2. Research hotspots of Chinese clinical nursing literature
Keywords capture the topic or theme and indicate the main content of an article.
11, 12
In this study, co-occurrence frequency of high-frequency keywords was
employed to analyze the research hotspots of clinical nursing in China. During the
three periods of 2007-2009, 2010-2012, and 2013-2015, “diabetes” and “nursing
intervention” exhibited the highest co-occurrence frequency, indicating that in recent
years, there was considerable research activity on diabetes nursing. In addition,
findings also indicated that diabetes patients account for a large proportion of hospital
patients in China and thus are receiving extensive research attention from health care
workers. Studies on cancer nursing, elderly nursing, and chemotherapy nursing
experienced decreased research activity over the years and even dropped out of the
top 10 research areas between 2013 and 2015. In comparison, studies on
complications nursing and quality of life after nursing interventions increased in
ranking, reflecting increased activity in the area. Studies on prevention nursing only
appeared in the ranking between 2010 and 2012 and ranked 10
th
between 2013 and
2015. However, perioperative nursing and pain nursing did not enter the top 10
research topics between 2013 and 2015. Three research areas of nursing interventions,
namely, compliance after nursing interventions, constipation nursing, and stroke
nursing, exhibited some variation in research activities but remained in the top 10
between 2013 and 2015. This phenomenon indicates that diabetes nursing, cancer
nursing, elderly nursing, and complications nursing are research hotspots in China and
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that in the near future, studies on quality of life after nursing interventions, nursing for
hypertension disease, and compliance after nursing interventions will remain research
hotspots, whereas studies on chemotherapy nursing and perioperative nursing will
generate decreased research activity.
Developing countries have experienced rises in economic and cultural status and
a westernization of lifestyles, which is accompanied by a continual increase in
diabetes and cancer occurrences, particularly in China, where diabetes and cancer
have become critical health and social problems, generating severe economic costs
and aggravating social issues. Currently, diabetes and its complications remain an
unsolved problem in China, consistent with the fact that studies on diabetes nursing
ranked first in all three periods of 2007-2009, 2010-2012, and 2013-2015.
Examination of the relevant literature revealed that studies on diabetes nursing in
China placed extra emphasis on nursing interventions for complications in diabetes
patients and that cancer nursing mainly focused on chemotherapy nursing.
Hypertension is characterized by “three highs”, namely high incidence, high disability
rate, and high mortality rate. Moreover, hypertension is a major factor leading to the
development of cardiovascular diseases and is one of the most common chronic
diseases in China. Its damaging effects have attracted considerable attention from
government, the general population, and medical researchers. These facts, along with
published studies, reveal that clinical nursing studies on complications were
concentrated in diabetic complications, hypertension complications, and surgical
complications. Furthermore, studies on constipation nursing and chemotherapy
nursing displayed a decrease in publication volume, which may indicate that the
corresponding nursing issues had already been solved or that relevant studies were
well developed. Our analyses also indicated that currently, most clinical nursing
publications in China evaluated efficacy after clinical nursing.
5. Conclusions
Our analyses revealed that clinical nursing research in China is in the second
phase defined by Price’s law, which is characterized by fast development in the
growth of total publication volume and increased speed of publication. In comparison,
clinical nursing research is in the third phase, or maturation phase, in certain other
countries, which is characterized by stable development in the growth of total
publication volume and development speed.
Conflicts of interest
All contributing authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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