Objective To analyze the status and research hotspots of occupational exposure of nurses in China, and to provide reference for occupational protection and management of clinical nurses. Methods Bibliometrics, co-word analysis and social network analysis were used to analyze the research focus of nurses occupational exposure collected from Wanfang Database and PubMed database from January 1st 2006 to December 31st 2017. Results Among the articles on nursing occupational exposure from January 1st 2006 to December 31st 2017, Wanfang Database published the highest number of articles in 2013, distributed in 445 journals, 29.78% of which were published in 13 journals. PubMed database has a stable publication volume, distributed in 220 journals, of which 25.78% were published in 11 journals. The core of the research field of nurses'occupational exposure in Wanfang Database was the research on the protective measures of occupational exposure. The main research directions of nursing occupational exposure in PubMed Database were as follows: research subjects, such as gender, age, pregnant women; risk factors, such as antineoplastic drugs, workplace, violence, needle stabbing, blood-borne pathogens; research methods, such as questionnaires, cross-sectional studies; psychological factors, attitudes, behaviors and risk assessment of occupational exposure; prevention of dew, such as protective clothing, safety management, etc. Conclusions Comprehensive understanding of the research hotspots on the nursing occupational exposure in China and abroad can provide reference for clinical nursing occupational protection and management. Key words: Occupational exposure; Nurses; Bibliometrics; Protective measures; Social network analysis; Co-word analysis