Abstract: Objective: To explore the spatial distribution differences and dynamic evolution of nursing human resources in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) hospitals, and provide scientific basis for the optimization of nursing human resources in TCM hospitals. Methods: We collected and extracted the nursing human resources data of TCM hospitals from 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China from 2012 to 2022 to explore the spatial differences in the distribution of nursing human resources in those hospitals in China and its dynamic evolution based on agglomeration degree and Kernel density estimation. Results: The average annual growth rate of TCM nursing human resources in the western region was the highest, at 10.70%. The HRAD of 8 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions including Heilongjiang was less than 1, while the HRAD of other provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions was greater than or equal to 1. The highest PAD was 27.145 in Shanghai, and the lowest was 0.020 in Xizang. 15 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions including Beijing had HRAD/PAD ratios greater than 1. Conclusion: The allocation of nursing human resources in TCM hospitals increases year by year, but the fairness is still insufficient. In terms of spatial distribution, low agglomeration degree is observed in the central and western China for a long time, with an apparent gap between high agglomeration degree cities and low agglomeration degree cities. Although recently the overall allocation level has been greatly improved, the regional differences are still obvious.

Key words: Traditional Chinese Medicine nursing; human resource; agglomeration degree; spatial distribution; Kernel density estimation