Citations of articles in predatory nursing journals

•Articles in predatory journals should not be cited.•Citations of predatory articles transfer the information into scientific literature.•There were 814 citations to articles published in predatory nursing journals.•Predatory journal articles were cited in all types of nonpredatory nursing journals.•Nurse authors, reviewers, and editors must be able to identify predatory articles. Nursing journals from predatory publication outlets may look authentic and seem to be a credible source of information. However, further inspection may reveal otherwise. The purpose of this study was to analyze publication and dissemination patterns of articles published in known predatory nursing journals. Using Scopus, reference lists were searched for citations from seven identified predatory nursing journals. Bibliographic information and subsequent citation information were then collected and analyzed. A total of 814 citations of articles published in predatory nursing journals were identified. Further analysis indicated that these articles were cited in 141 nonpredatory nursing journals of various types. Predatory nursing journals continue to persist, yet fewer may now be in existence. Education and information may help authors and reviewers identify predatory journals, thereby discouraging submissions to these publications and hesitancy among authors to cite articles published in them.