Currently every time I make a change to a Node-RED node during development it requires stopping and starting the server to apply changes. This is even required if something minor changes, like just editing a label.
How can I reload nodes in Node-RED without restarting the server? Is it even possible?
Is it even possible?
No - you must restart Node-RED to pickup any changes.
You could use a tool such as nodemon to watch for changes on your node files and automatically restart Node-RED. That helps get your changes picked-up with less manual intervention.