A Framework Analysis of Thematic Correspondence Between the GNWC Research Question Framework and the WHO State of the...

The Centre was established in March 2025 as a central repository to document the gaps in nursing workforce data needed to inform planning and policy development. To establish research priorities, an inaugural panel of Centre experts created 98 initial research questions (GNWC) across five domains: education, practice, regulation, policy, and systemic issues. Released in May 2025, the World Health Organization's (WHO) State of the World's Nursing 2025 (SOWN) provides updated worldwide nursing workforce data and global analysis. This study explores GNWC framework alignment with topics addressed in SOWN to affirm its direction and to augment research areas that are underrepresented.

A framework analysis was conducted to compare SOWN findings with the GNWC research question framework. Findings between the two reports were categorized to identify areas of convergence and divergence.

Thematic information was extracted from SOWN, and each GNWC question was examined in relation to the extracted information. Data were grouped by topic into five domains and classified according to thematic congruence. An iterative process was used to capture the consensus on alignment reached between the researcher and the panel of experts.

Varied thematic congruence was identified between SOWN and the five domains of the GNWC framework: Education, Practice, Regulation, Policy, and Systemic issues. Shared understandings of global challenges were evident in all domains, with both minor and major differences identified.

The analysis demonstrates substantial thematic congruence between the GNWC research question framework and SOWN across several domains. Areas of more limited coverage include Education and Systemic issues.

Identifying challenges and evidence gaps in the global nursing workforce helps set research priorities and develop evidence-based strategies to strengthen it, thereby improving patient access to care and health outcomes.