A Citation Analysis of the Top 50 Most Cited Nurse Practitioner Publications

The role of nurse practitioners (NPs) has become integral to healthcare systems worldwide. Originating in the United States over 50 years ago, it has since been adopted by countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. To honor the research and contributions that have shaped the NP discipline, it is valuable to review and recognize key literature that has significantly impacted its development. Bibliometrics, a research methodology, offers an objective lens for evaluating the influence of scholarly articles on the evolution of a discipline. Citation analysis (CA), a key method in bibliometrics, examines how frequently a publication is cited by others, often serving as a measure of its impact, influence, and contribution to its field. This study aims to identify the top 50 most cited publications related to NPs in the Web of Science (WoS) database to review and describe the influential works that have contributed to the profession's growth. Comparisons are drawn with a parallel review in Scopus and recent NP-related bibliometric studies. In 2021, a structured search was conducted using the WoS Core Collection with key terms such as "Nurse Practitioner" and "Advanced Practice Nurse". Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, and publications were ranked by citation count from highest to lowest. The analysis covered citation counts, topics, publication dates/types, country of origin, author details (institution and discipline), and journal characteristics (e.g., impact factor, IF). The top 50 most cited articles and their characteristics are presented. Citation counts ranged from 78 to 656, with publication dates spanning six decades across 30 journals, 38 institutions, and 194 authors. The leading authors were Mary O'Neil Mundinger, Denise Bryant-Lukosius, and Alba DiCenso. Topics included the role's impact and development, registration/licensing, and scope of practice. Most articles (n = 35) were published in journals with an IF greater than 2. This review offers a systematic approach to identifying seminal works that have influenced the NP profession globally. While CA has its limitations, it provides a valuable method for literature review. This study contributes valuable insights into the history and development of NP research and offers guidance for future research efforts.