The Journal of Nursing Regulation at Age 6: A Bibliographic Analysis

Introduction: Bibliometric analysis is a technique that can be used to understand the structure and content of a scientific domain. Aim: The aim of this study is to analyze the scientific content of the articles contained in the first 6 years of the Journal of Nursing Regulation. Method: Data were extracted using Scopus to identify the bibliographic information related to all peer-reviewed articles. The articles were then imported into VOSviewer where a co-word analysis was completed. Results: Six themes were identified: conduct, simulation, delegation and supervision, public protection, transition to practice, and patient safety and regulatory culture. Nine other areas were suggested for further work. North American authors dominated the articles, and several articles were identified as being highly cited. Conclusions: A bibliometric analysis of the content provided valuable insights into the issues addressed, the popularity of certain topics, and the success of a number of authors. The analysis also identified areas for further study.