Quality and safety education for nurses: A bibliometric analysis

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Quality and Safety
• Bibliometrics

Background:

• The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) initiative, established in 2005 in the US, provides a framework for nursing education and practice.
• QSEN competencies are crucial for reducing preventable harm and enhancing patient care quality.
• QSEN is integrated into the 2021 American Association for Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials, highlighting its importance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a bibliometric analysis of QSEN literature.
• To assess the publication patterns, global spread, and penetration of QSEN.
• To map the existing knowledge base on quality and safety education for nurses.

Main Methods:

• A bibliometric analysis was performed.
• Database searches identified QSEN-specific articles in peer-reviewed journals.
• PRISMA screening resulted in a final sample of 221 articles published between 2007 and 2021.

Main Results:

• An average of 14.5 QSEN articles were published annually, peaking in 2017 with 26 publications.
• The majority of articles (165) focused on education, followed by clinical practice (35) and professional development (17).
• Nine topic clusters emerged, including clinical teaching, simulations, patient outcomes, and research frameworks.

Conclusions:

• QSEN has significant penetration in nursing education but less in guiding professional practice and outcome-based research.
• There are opportunities to enhance global collaboration for QSEN, particularly concerning diversity and inclusion.
• Recommendations focus on ensuring worldwide access to QSEN competencies to reduce healthcare harm.