Objective To analyze the research hotspots and emerging trends of nursing projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) from 2020 to 2024， and to provide references for nursing researchers applying for national-level research grants. Methods Information on NSFC-funded nursing projects was retrieved from the official website of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, citexs, CNKI, Baidu, and other relevant sources. CiteSpace (Version 6.4.R1) was used to conduct visual bibliometric analyses of the funded projects. Results A total of 348 nursing projects were funded by the NSFC between 2020 and 2024. Among the secondary disciplines of nursing, Health and Chronic Disease Management accounted for the largest proportion of funded projects (101 projects, 29.02%). The Young Scientists Fund supported the greatest number of projects (181 projects, 52.01%). The majority of projects were funded under the Department of Management Sciences (218 projects, 62.64%). Keyword clustering analysis identified nine major research hotspots, including mechanisms, health education, and infection. Emerging research trends were found in rural health, aging, and telemedicine. Conclusion The number of NSFC-funded nursing projects showed slight fluctuations during the study period. Nursing researchers are encouraged to align their research with national strategic priorities and societal needs, focus on disciplinary frontiers, strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, and promote the high-quality development of nursing science.