Developing and validating an integrated instrument for nursing assessments in adult hospitalization units: Study protocol

Abstract

Aims: To develop and validate an instrument that integrates functional capacity, risk of pressure ulcers and risk of falling with a more parsimonious approach towards nursing assessments in hospitalization units. Design: Cross-sectional validation multicentre study. Methods: Socio-demographic variables and assessments of Barthel Index, Braden Index and Downton Scale are included via electronic health records. Instrument's development process will include: (i) conceptual assessments; (ii) content validity; (iii) construct validity; (iv) internal consistency and (v) interobserver reliability. The analysis will consider possible differences in medical and surgical hospitalization units, hospitalization type or being a COVID-19 patient. This study was accepted for funding in November 2020 and approved by the Ethics and Research Committee in January 2021. Results: An integrated instrument that lowers the administrative load of nursing assessments and allows at-risk patients to be detected with at least the same validity and reliability as the original instruments is expected to be obtained.