The application of ChatGPT in nursing: a bibliometric and visualized analysis
Open accessAbstract
Objective: With the development of ChatGPT, the number of studies within the nursing field has increased. The sophisticated language capabilities of ChatGPT, coupled with its exceptional precision, offer significant support within the nursing field, which includes clinical nursing, nursing education, and the clinical decision-making process. Preliminary findings suggest positive outcomes, underscoring its potential as a valuable resource for enhancing clinical care. However, a comprehensive analysis of this domain is lacking, and the application of bibliometric methods remains rare. This study aims to describe and predict the developmental trajectory of the discipline, identify research hotspots and trends, and provide a comprehensive framework for the integration of ChatGPT in nursing. Methods: Following the development of a search strategy in collaboration with librarians, the implementation of this strategy occurred in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) on June 30, 2024. For bibliometric and visual analyses—including evaluations of sources, institutions, countries, author collaboration networks, and keywords—Bibliometrix (version 4.4.2) and CiteSpace (version 6.2.R2 Basic) were employed. Results: A total of 81 articles published by 67 authors were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database, covering the period of June 30, 2024. The number of published studies has exhibited an increasing trend. The “European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing” emerged as the most productive journals, while the USA, the UK, and China were identified as the leading countries in terms of publication output. The top 10 keywords identified in this study include artificial intelligence, nursing education, large language models, ChatGPT, natural language processing, generative artificial intelligence, care, nursing practice, clinical decision-making, and deep learning. Conclusion: ChatGPT is an emerging tool in the nursing field, currently in the foundational research phase. While there is significant international collaboration, cooperation among author groups remains somewhat limited. Studies focusing on ChatGPT in nursing primarily concentrate on two key themes: (1) the deep learning of ChatGPT in nursing and (2) the feasibility of its application. It is essential for nurses across various specialties to collaborate in exploring the diverse applications of ChatGPT within their domains, thereby fostering the ongoing development and enhancement of this technology.
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Bibliometric analyses confirm that publication volume in this field accelerated dramatically following November 2022.
“Bibliometric analyses confirm that publication volume in this field accelerated dramatically following November 2022 (Wang et al., 2024).”
From When the algorithm enters the classroom: A critical integrative review of large language models, nursing education structural gaps, and the reconstitution of professional identity (2026) · cites this paper as Wang et al., 2024
Wang et al. (2024) found that the existing literature lacks randomised controlled trials and qualitative studies.
“the existing literature lacks randomised controlled trials and qualitative studies.”
From When the algorithm enters the classroom: A critical integrative review of large language models, nursing education structural gaps, and the reconstitution of professional identity (2026) · cites this paper as Wang et al. (2024)
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- Authors
- Wang, P., Zhang, Q., Zhang, W., & Sun, J.
- Affiliations
- Peking Union Medical College Hospital (CN)
- Dalian University (CN)
- Peking University (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Sun, Jing
- Venue
- Frontiers in Medicine
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media SA
- Published
- 2024-12-18
- Volume
- 11
- Pages
- 1521712-1521712
- ISSN
- 2296-858X (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC11688491
- OpenAlex
- W4405559009
- Cited by
- 12
- References
- 66
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 3
- FWCI
- 0.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Frontiers in Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Health Informatics › Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Artificial Intelligence in Education
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty › scientometrics and bibliometrics research
- Keywords
- ChatGPT, large language models, generative AI, nursing, nursing education, clinical decision-making, artificial intelligence in healthcare, research trends, co-authorship networks
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