Bibliometric analysis of HIV Nursing Research between 1999 and 2022

Abstract

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) nursing has become more prominent with the increase in chronic HIV infections. This study examined articles related to HIV nursing to determine how the profession has developed and its future direction. Methods: HIV nursing-related articles published in the Web of Science core collection between 1999 and 2022 were searched. Microsoft Excel 2010 and VOSviewer were used to identify the contributions of countries, institutions, and authors in HIV related care. Collaborative maps, hot topics, and keywords trends were analyzed using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. Results: A total of 1513 publications were extracted. A steady increase in articles published between 1999 and 2012 was observed. After 2012, the increase in the number of publications was relatively stable. However, since 2016, a downward trend in the number of publications has occured. The USA, South Africa, and the UK were the leading contributors to publications related to HIV nursing. The University of California (San Francisco, USA), the University of Cape Town (South Africa), and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) were three key contributing institutions. William L. Holzemer was the author with the most important publications. AIDS Care was the top prolific journal. "HIV-related stigma", "Antiretroviral therapy and adherence", "mental health", and "social support" were the main topics in HIV nursing research. Conclusion: Research in HIV nursing has gradually shifted from "HIV infection", "risk factors", and "transmission routes" to "social support", "depression", and "public health".