Objective To review English and Chinese narrative nursing literature over the past decade and provide updated insights for Chinese nursing researchers. Methods A systematic search was conducted across Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, PubMed, CINAHL Complete, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Chinese Journal Service Platform, and Wanfang Data for narrative nursing studies published between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2024. CiteSpace 6.4.R1 was employed to visualize annual publication trends, contributing countries/regions, institutions, and keywords. Results A total of 4762 articles were included (2560 in English, 2202 in Chinese). Annual publications showed a steady upward trend. High-productivity institutions for English-language literature were predominantly clustered in North America, while Chinese-language literature research institutions were mainly concentrated in medical schools and their affiliated hospitals. English-language studies emphasized qualitative methods, prioritizing patients’ subjective illness experiences, long-term disease management, and end-of-life dignity. Chinese-language research centered on clinical psychological interventions, addressing psychosocial adaptation in acute/chronic diseases. Narrative education in nursing education emerged as a shared research focus globally. Conclusion As an emerging nursing practice model, narrative nursing has gained increasing research attention, demonstrating significant value in clinical care and nursing education.