Aim: The aim of this study was to explore Italian nurses' publications from 1980 to 2020. Background/Objectives: Several studies have been conducted internationally to assess nursing research output. In Italy, there are some older studies, but a comprehensive analysis of the Italian nursing scientific production after 2010 is needed. Methods: A bibliometric analysis was conducted through a retrospective descriptive study. All articles (n = 3423) published by Italian nurses (n = 2170) and indexed in Scopus were included, in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Results: Publication trends show a steady growth, with an increase in publications in journals with higher IFs. Most publications were focused on clinical research and used quantitative methods (n = 2473 articles (86.71%)). The most frequently conducted quantitative studies were observational studies (52.91%), followed by experimental studies (12.5%), instrumental studies (6.72%), and other methodologies (0.15%). Qualitative studies accounted for n = 318 articles (11.15%), and mixed-method studies accounted for n = 61 articles (2.14%). Conclusions: The overall improvement in Italian nursing research is due to the increase in the number of nurses with PhDs and academics in the country. More funding and nursing research positions are needed to further improve research.
Keywords: Italian nurses; bibliometric analysis; doctorate education; nursing research; retrospective descriptive study.