[Identification of Knowledge Structure of Pain Management Nursing Research Applying Text Network Analysis]

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Health Sciences
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• Pain management is a critical aspect of nursing care.
• Understanding the research landscape is essential for advancing evidence-based practice.
• Text network analysis offers a novel approach to map knowledge structures in scientific literature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the knowledge structure of pain management nursing research between Korea and other countries.
• To identify core keywords and thematic clusters in domestic and international pain management studies.
• To reveal differences and similarities in research focus using text network analysis.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 321 Korean and 6,685 international pain management abstracts (2004-2017).
• Keyword and morpheme extraction, co-occurrence matrix generation.
• Network analysis using NetMiner 4.3, including centrality and community analysis.

Main Results:

• Core keywords in both regions include "pain," "patient," "pain management," "registered nurses," "care," and "cancer."
• Korean studies highlight "education" and "patient-controlled analgesia," while international studies focus on "treatment" and "children."
• Common themes include "pain and accompanying symptoms," "target groups," and "RNs' performance"; recent Korean research shows increased focus on "depression" and "sleep," while international research emphasizes "chronic pain" and "assessment."

Conclusions:

• Korean pain management research should expand to include pediatric, elderly, and chronic pain populations.
• Consideration of diverse healthcare settings and opioid analgesia use is recommended.
• A shift towards a quality of life perspective, beyond symptom management, is crucial for future research.