Purpose; The purpose of this study was to analyze papers on the self-leadership of nursing students, which were included in domestic academic journals over the past 15 years, in an attempt to determine the research trend. Methods: This is a descriptive research study that analyzed 41 papers included in domestic academic journals over the past 15 years(2003-2018). Results: The studies related to the self-leadership of nursing students numbered five(12.2%) between 2009 and 2014 and 36(87.8%) between 2015 and 2018. As to the distribution of the papers by journal, 10 papers(24.3%) that were largest in number were included in the Journal of Korea Academia-Industrial Cooperation Society. Concerning variables related to self-leadership, critical thinking disposition was a major variable that was covered in 10 papers(24.3%) that were largest in number, and another major variable was self-efficacy that was covered in seven(17.5). As a result of analyzing the papers by research method, every study was quantitative research that numbered 41(100%). Out of them, the descriptive research studies were most common, and the experimental studies numbered 17(17.0%). In regard to sample size determination, G*Power was used the most in 31 papers(75.6%). Regarding institutional review board, eight(19.5%) out of the 41 papers were implemented with the approval of IRB. As for data analysis in the studies using descriptive statistics, t-test was used mainly in 35 papers(85.3%); ANOVA, in 26(63.4%); Pearson correlation coefficient, in 26(63.4%). In the experimental studies, x2-test was dominant, which was used in 10 papers(24.3%). Conclusion: The findings of the study are expected to provide some information on how to nurture the selfleadership of would-be professional nurses to step up their competency development to affect their clinical performance in a positive way and on how to set the right directions for the development of nursing to make a contribution to the improvement of the quality of nursing.