Patterns and Trends in Global Nursing Robotics Research: A Bibliometric Study

Aims: The present study aimed to investigate the trends and research status of global nursing robot research. Background: The global aging population has intensified the demand for caregiving services, highlighting the need for innovative solutions like nursing robots to address caregiver shortages and enhance healthcare efficiency. A bibliometric analysis of nursing robots from 2014 to 2024 are noteworthy but limited. Methods: We searched the Web of Science database for relevant articles concerning nursing robots, published between January 1, 2014 to October 30, 2024. Data collected include: the number of publications, countries, institutions, authors, journals, reference, and keywords. CiteSpace were used to conduct the bibliometric analysis. Results: The analysis included a total of 696 publications, which were produced by 165 institutions from 66 countries and involved 243 authors. The publications exhibited a generally increasing trend with fluctuations over time. The United States of America contributed the majority of articles, with 187 publications accounting for 26.87% of the total. Griffith University from Australia led the institutions with 11 publications, representing 1.58% of the overall count. The International Journal of Social Robotics was the most prolific in publishing articles on nursing robots, with 162 publications. Through the analysis of timeline graph and burst terms, we identified technology, functionality, and impact of nursing robots as research hotspots. The application of social robots in patient care and advancements in team collaboration during robot-assisted surgery are potential emerging research directions. Conclusions: This study presents an overview of the nursing robot research landscape over the past decade. This research offer valuable insights and direction for future trends and research trajectories in the domain of nursing robots. Implications for Nursing Management: Nursing administrators can appropriately apply nursing robots to assist in improving nursing efficiency, thereby freeing up nurses' time to focus on more complex patient care.