Exploring the Knowledge Structure of Patient Safety in Nursing Using a Keyword Network Analysis

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Research
• Patient Safety Science

Background:

• Patient safety is a critical and persistent issue in nursing research.
• Existing research requires theoretical clarification and new perspectives for future direction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the knowledge structure of patient safety in nursing.
• To provide direction for future patient safety research by offering new perspectives and theoretical clarification.

Main Methods:

• Keyword network analysis of 6072 published nursing articles.
• Focus group interviews to incorporate nursing perspectives.
• Analysis framework using Kim's typology with four domains.

Main Results:

• Avoiding medication errors and preventing pressure ulcers or falls are key research topics.
• Core keywords distribution: practice, client, environment, and client-nurse domains.
• Patient harm keywords were limited to physical harm within the client domain.

Conclusions:

• Patient safety knowledge structure includes themes of patient, preventable harm, practice, error, and environment.
• Risk assessment and management are crucial for patient and nursing practice.
• Future research should adopt multidimensional approaches to patient harm and leverage client-nurse relationships and information systems.