Bibliometric Analysis of Spiritual Healing Themed Articles in Nursing Research Area

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This bibliometric analysis aims to highlight important trends, research questions and contributions to better understand the academic literature on spiritual healing.Recognized as an important part of holistic nursing care, spiritual healing includes methods of treating spiritual dimensions of health and well-being and is now generally recognized. MATERIALS AND METHODS:A systematic literature search was conducted to identify articles focussing on spiritual healing in the field of nursing.This search covered publications up to April 2024, and the Web of Science Core Collection database was used.A dataset of 878 articles was obtained as a result of the keyword search.Bibliometric analyses were performed with VosViewer software.Parameters such as number of publications, most productive countries/institutions, most cited articles, and top themes were analysed. RESULTS:This study revealed that spiritual topics have increased significantly in the nursing literature since 2016.The geographical distribution analysis showed that the United States of America (USA) led the way in this field, with countries such as Iran, the United Kingdom and Brazil also making significant contributions.Loma Linda University and the University of So Paulo stood out among the institutions with the most publications.Keyword analysis highlighted the importance of topics such as "spirituality", "nursing", "patients", and "palliative care".Findings revealed a growing acceptance of spiritual healing in nursing practice, global collaboration, and research diversity. CONCLUSION:The study highlights a global increase in nursing research on spiritual healing since 2016, with the USA leading the way.