Disaster Nursing Development in China and Other Countries: ABibliometric Study

PurposeChina is a country with frequent disasters, and nurses play indispensable roles in the disaster process. The Chinese disaster nursing specialty developed with several deficiencies. This study aimed to identify the limitations in the development of disaster nursing in China and to provide a reference for the future by comparing relevant studies between China and other countries. DesignA systematic literature review was conducted in English and Chinese databases to identify disaster nursing articles published from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2016. MethodsThis study followed the systematic literature collection tactic and bibliometric method. Basic information such as country, number of publications, and discussed disaster types were described through frequency distributions. Article themes were extracted and divided into the four phases of the International Council of Nurses Framework of Disaster Nursing Competencies. Findings1,384 articles were included in the analysis, containing 781 written in Chinese and 603 written in English (with 56 of them written by Chinese researchers). The number of Chinese disaster nursing articles and other publications increased sharply between 2007 and 2009 but dropped significantly afterwards, while the total number of articles in other countries fluctuated, with a general upward trend. Compared to other countries, there were fewer research methods used and less focus on disaster prevention and preparedness in China, an imbalanced focus on disaster types, and a lack of focus on prevention, preparedness, and recovery phases. ConclusionsIn China, there is a lack of stable development of disaster nursing research, a lack of study types, and less focus on disaster prevention, preparedness, and recovery. Varied study methods and an increased focus on disaster prevention and preparedness are required in the future. Clinical RelevanceThis study analyzed the deficiencies in Chinese disaster nursing, which led to recommendations and proposed directions for future studies and a clinical focus in this field, in compliance with the United Nations guidelines for disaster management.