Picture of multiple sclerosis studies in nursing: A bibliometric study

Objectives: This study aimed to bibliometrically examine nursing publications regarding multiple sclerosis. Materials and methods: This bibliometric study was carried out with 405 articles published in the Web of Science database between January 1980 and January 2023, identified with the English keywords "multiple sclerosis" and "nursing." Results: The average publication age of the studies was 10.8 years, and the annual increase rate was 3.74%. The most active (48.6%) country was the USA, and the nursing journal with the most publications (18.5%) was the Journal of Neuroscience Nursing. "Fatigue" was the most frequently used theme, "women" and "sexuality" were the motor themes, "caregiver" and "palliative care" were developed but isolated themes, and "mental health" and "adolescence" were emerging or declining themes. Conclusion: This bibliometric analysis provided a comprehensive overview of the state of multiple sclerosis research in nursing over 42 years. The number of studies was limited, the average age was small, and the annual growth rate was low. The studies focused on fatigue, and the topics that need more research were demonstrated. The results of the study can guide nurses in future multiple sclerosis studies.