Absenteeism Among Nurses: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Past 25 Years of Research

Abstract

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare has been pushed to the limits. Nursing staff, being an essential aspect of healthcare, has had to bear the brunt of the situation. And as such, in the context of healthcare, the absenteeism of nurses is of great concern. Consequently, there is, in present times, a great need for research into absenteeism, its incidence, precedents and antecedents. This bibliometric review contributes to the literature by examining how the research has been carried out by identifying the relevant references, authors, topics and journals. Having compiled major research, in the last 25 years, in the field of nurse absenteeism, this review seeks to lay the groundwork for prospective research in the field. Analysing 87 articles published globally since 1996, this article reveals the contours of research by indicating the locales of the undertaken research, locating it within various themes and conceptual clusters. The article also reviews the antecedents of nurse absenteeism as indicated in the research. This review has been conducted in view of the near absence of bibliometric work in the field of nurse absenteeism. In systematizing the published literature, the state of the present research and the contours of future research are also laid out.