The hotspots and trends of nursing master’s education in China: a bibliometric analysis from 2000 to 2022

Abstract

Background Graduate nursing education is the main way to train high-quality nursing personnel. Globally, the nursing education system has been gradually improved, forming a multi-level, multi-channel, and multi-specification education system including secondary, specialized, undergraduate, and postgraduate. Objective To analyze the research hotspots and trends of nursing postgraduate education in China by using bibliometric methods, and to provide reference for scholars at home and abroad to understand the current status of this field. Methods Literature related to graduate nursing education was searched in the Chinese full-text journal database (CNKI) from January 2000 to May 2022 and analyzed using CiteSpace software. Results A total of 998 kinds of literature were included, with a growing trend in the number of articles issued. The research hotspots and trends of nursing graduate education in China are clinical practice, cultivation mode, and core competence. Conclusion Chinese nursing graduate education is improving. Foreign experience should be drawn upon, combined with the hotspots and trends summarized in this study, to promote the development of nursing graduate education in China.