Visual analysis of research hotspots and emerging trends in the field of newly graduated nurses

Abstract

Aim: To systematically analyze the current status, hotspots, and frontiers of Chinese and international studies on newly graduated nurses and to inform subsequent research. Methods: We searched the Web of Science Core Collection and China National Knowledge Infrastructure for literature on newly graduated nurses from January 1, 2015, to April 28, 2025, and used VOSviewer and CiteSpace to visualize and analyze the results. Results: In total, 4,372 English-language and 3,218 Chinese-language articles were included. English-language publications increased steadily, whereas Chinese-language publications showed a fluctuating decline. Both Chinese and English literature focus on mental health issues, with English literature focusing on nursing education and professional experience, and Chinese literature focusing on pre-service training and specialty competence development; English-language studies emphasize clinical decision-making, pre-entry interventions, and related frontiers, whereas Chinese studies further explore transition-shock mechanisms and localized support systems. Conclusion: In research on newly graduated nurses, Chinese- and English-language literature shows distinct focal areas. Future work should enhance international exchange and interdisciplinary collaboration, optimize digitally enabled training pathways, promote deeper integration of practice and education, and establish support systems for the professional development of newly graduated nurses that balance local and global perspectives.