Exploring research trends in moral resilience using topic modeling
10.5977/jkasne.2026.32.1.94
- Author:
Eun-Jun PARK
1
;
Eunju KWAK
;
Seungmi PARK
Author Information
1. Professor, Department of Nursing, Korea National Open University
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
2026;32(1):94-103
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Purpose:This study aimed to identify research trends in moral resilience in healthcare through text network analysis and topic modeling of abstracts published in domestic and international journals and to propose future research directions.
Methods:A quantitative content analysis was conducted on English abstracts of studies related to moral or ethical resilience in healthcare published through May 2025. Sixty-three papers were selected after removing duplicates, and screening was conducted using eight databases: KISS, RISS, DBpia, KCI, CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science. Texts were analyzed using NetMiner 4.5.1 for keyword co-occurrence network construction and Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modeling. Core keywords were identified using degree and centrality indices, and topics were named through researcher consensus.
Results:Research on moral resilience in healthcare began in 2013 and has increased rapidly after 2023, particularly after the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Among 230 extracted keywords, “moral resilience,” “moral distress,” and “care” showed the highest centrality. Five major topics were identified: (1) moral resilience and burnout in practice, (2) moral resilience among nursing students, (3) moral competence and fatigue in practice, (4) moral resilience assessment, and (5) moral injury and secondary traumatic stress among healthcare workers.
Conclusion:Moral resilience reflects the ethical strength that enables healthcare professionals to sustain integrity amid moral adversity. Although the number of international studies has increased, domestic research remains limited. Further work should clarify this concept, develop training programs, and explore organizational strategies to strengthen moral resilience.
