Nursing research on vascular access in hemodialysis: Trends and insights from a bibliometric study

Vascular access is essential for effective hemodialysis, a life-sustaining treatment for patients with chronic kidney disease, and nurses play a critical role in its management through infection prevention, patient education, and promotion of self-care. Despite a growing body of research on vascular access, bibliometric analyses that specifically explore nursing contributions remain limited. This study aimed to analyze trends in nursing research on vascular access in hemodialysis through a bibliometric approach. A total of 837 articles published in 275 sources between 1986 and 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science database using MeSH terms. The data were analyzed with Biblioshiny and VOSviewer to examine publication trends, citation patterns, co-citation, and collaboration networks. Findings indicated a steady growth in the field, with an annual publication increase of 1.79%. The most productive journals were <i>Nephrology Nursing Journal</i> (<i>n</i> = 57), <i>Journal of Vascular Access</i> (<i>n</i> = 46), and <i>BMC Nephrology</i> (<i>n</i> = 33). Leading authors included Sousa C.N. (<i>n</i> = 20), Teles P. (<i>n</i> = 15), and Johnson D.W. (<i>n</i> = 13). Co-citation and co-occurrence analyses revealed both technical topics such as arteriovenous fistulas and patient-centered themes including quality of life and self-care. International collaboration was evident, with 16% of studies involving multi-country authorship, reflecting the global relevance of this research area. The study highlights the influential role of a small group of authors and journals in shaping nursing research on vascular access in hemodialysis and indicates a growing emphasis on patient-centered approaches. These findings provide direction for future nursing research to support evidence-based practice and enhance patient outcomes.