Research on nurses’ prescription rights in China: A bibliometric analysis via CiteSpace

BACKGROUND: At present, China has not established nationwide prescribing rights for nurses. Although pilot programs have been launched in a few regions and extensive discussions exist, no unified standard has been formed. METHODS: Pertinent literature regarding nurses' prescription rights was obtained from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang databases. Visual representations were generated through the analysis of publication year, author distribution, institutional affiliations, and keywords using CiteSpace 6.2R6 software. RESULTS: A total of 348 publications were initially identified. Following thorough screening, 214 qualifying records were incorporated into the analysis. The yearly publication output demonstrated an increasing trend with variations, reaching a zenith in 2020 with 32 articles. The most prolific author was Han Shifan (n = 48), and the preeminent research institution was Shanxi Medical University (n = 62). Keyword analysis indicated the greatest frequency for terms including "nurses," "prescription rights," "nurse practitioners," and "prescription forms" (n = 16). Keyword cluster analysis yielded 6 thematic categories: #0 Nurse, #1 Specialist Nurse, #2 Prescription Form, #3 Nurse Practitioners, #4 Nursing, and #5 Influencing Factors. CONCLUSIONS: Research on Chinese nurses' prescription rights has evolved from initial explorations to a comprehensive understanding of its practical, legal, and educational implications. Early studies were mainly theoretical and limited in scope, while recent research features empirical analysis, detailed legal reviews, and structured educational frameworks.