Cybersecurity education privacy in nursing disciplines – a bibliometric analysis

Aim: As healthcare digitization accelerates, cybersecurity awareness is vital for nurses handling sensitive patient data. This study explores how cybersecurity education is represented in nursing literature. Background: Nurses play a key role in protecting patient information, yet nursing education often lacks structured cybersecurity training. As digital threats grow, it is critical to examine academic coverage of this topic to inform future curricula. Design: A bibliometric analysis was conducted to assess global research trends, key contributors and emerging topics related to cybersecurity awareness and education in nursing. Methods: Using the Web of Science database (1993–2024), we analyzed 2498 publications with Python, Bibliometrix, Orange Tools and VOSviewer 1.6.20. We mapped citation networks, countries, institutions and authors and applied sentiment analysis, word clouds, topic modeling and t-SNE to visualize key themes. Results: Publications on cybersecurity in nursing increased notably from 2015 to 2023, reflecting growing awareness. Common themes included data protection, privacy, HIPAA regulations and nurses’ perceptions of handling sensitive information. However, most nursing students still lack exposure to these topics in their studies. The analysis reveals a significant gap between academic discussion and formal curriculum integration. Conclusions: Cybersecurity is underrepresented in nursing education despite increasing relevance. Greater collaboration between nursing educators and cybersecurity professionals is needed to embed critical topics—such as digital ethics, legal compliance and data privacy—into nursing programs, ensuring students are better equipped for digital healthcare environments.