Global Trends in Neurosurgical Nursing Research from 2014 to 2024: A Bibliometric and Visualization Study

As neurosurgical nursing continues to evolve alongside technological advancements, a systematic examination of its research landscape has become increasingly imperative. This study employed bibliometric analysis to investigate global research trends in neurosurgical nursing from 2014 to 2024, utilizing 5677 records extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC). Through the application of bibliometric techniques and CiteSpace visualization tools, we quantitatively analyzed publication outputs, geographical distributions, institutional contributions, and keyword evolution patterns. Our temporal analysis revealed three key findings: (1) a steady annual growth in publication volume (average increase of 12.3% per year), with the United States contributing 39.90% of total publications; (2) dominant institutional contributors including Harvard University, the University of California System, and the University of Toronto, which collectively accounted for 28.5% of high-citation publications; and (3) emerging research foci centered on seven primary themes: clinical interventions ("clinical article", "external ventricular drain"), patient populations ("neurosurgical patients"), treatment modalities ("radiotherapy"), evidence synthesis ("meta analysis"), care delivery models ("patterns"), and anatomical considerations ("central nervous system"). These findings provided empirical evidence for understanding current research priorities, identifying knowledge gaps, and forecasting future developmental trajectories in neurosurgical nursing. The study established a foundational bibliometric framework that may guide strategic research planning and international collaboration in this specialized nursing field.