Randomized control trial in nursing education: A bibliometric analysis and visualization

Abstract

Aim

The aim of this study was to examine randomized controlled trials in nursing education using bibliometric analysis.

Methods

Descriptive and bibliometric analyses were used. Web of Science database was used to determine the most frequently cited studies of nursing education randomised controlled trials, the most influential journals in this field, trends and trends of studies. Bibliometric analysis and visualisation were performed using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix Package in R software.

Results

In the study, a total of 141 publications were published in 29 different sources between 2007 and 2025. The most influential journal where the studies were published was Nurse Education Today (n = 53). In the studies, 405 author keywords belonging to 623 authors were found. The most frequently used author keywords were ‘simulation (n = 18)’, ‘knowledge (n = 8)’, ‘simulation training (n = 8)’, ‘learning (n = 7)’ and ‘anxiety (n = 6)’. It was found that the most frequently used trend topics in the early years were ‘attitudes’, while in recent years, trend topics such as ‘simulation’, ‘knowledge’ and ‘skills’ have become popular.

Conclusion

The number of randomized controlled trials in nursing education has been on the rise in recent years. The findings of this study will contribute to the advancement of nursing education literature and inform future scientific studies by addressing existing gaps in knowledge in this field.