The importance of nursing practices in the prevention and treatment of pressure injuries: A global perspective on research priorities and future directions

Pressure injuries (PIs) represent a significant global health challenge, contributing to increased mortality, morbidity, and healthcare costs while diminishing the quality of life for patients and their families. Nursing practice plays a pivotal role in both preventing and treating PIs. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of recent advancements in PI prevention and treatment since the 21st century through bibliometric methods, incorporating the latest research findings. It underscores the critical importance of enhancing nursing interventions in PI management, offering researchers a panoramic view of current research trends, hotspots, and future directions in this field. Using bibliometric analysis, we examined 1547 studies published between 2000 and 2025, retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection on March 13, 2025. Employing tools such as HisCite, CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and the R package “bibliometrix,” we analyzed publication trends across countries, institutions, journals, authors, and keywords to identify emerging patterns in nursing research on PIs. Findings indicate a growing global interest in PI research, with the United States leading in international collaboration, publication output, and citation impact. Ghent University has made substantial contributions to the literature, while the Journal of Tissue Viability emerges as the most prominent publication venue. Beeckman, Dimitri, ranks as the most prolific author, and Defloor, Tom, is the most frequently cited researcher. Keyword analysis reveals 3 major research clusters: “pressure ulcers,” “care,” and “knowledge,” with “prevention” emerging as the most salient keyword in 2024. Notably, “pressure injuries” has been the most influential keyword from 2023 to 2025, while “nursing home” dominated research from 2001 to 2016. Future research directions should focus on “injuries,” “pressure injuries,” and “COVID-19” as emerging critical topics. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis emphasizing the indispensable role of nursing care in PI prevention and management. By synthesizing nearly 2 decades of research, it delineates the current landscape and identifies promising avenues for future investigation, providing scholars with valuable insights and resources to advance nursing practice in this critical area.