Nursing care quality assessment instruments: scoping review protocol

Abstract Objective: The aim of this scoping review is to map out the instruments for assessing the quality of nursing care at hospital and community levels. Introduction: Given the complexity of healthcare and the increasing expectations of individuals, health systems face a growing need to provide safe and high-quality care (Ribeiro et al., 2017). The quality of nursing care is a multidimensional, complex and subjective concept that can be viewed from the perspective of the patient, the professional or the organization. It is intrinsically linked to patient safety and nurse performance, being affected by factors such as the shortage of human resources and team motivation (Martins et al., 2020; Pires I. S., 2022). What appears to be fundamental in quality of care is the balance between health benefits and risks (Lindgren & Andersson, 2011). Thus, in this review, quality of care is considered when accessibility, equity and an optimal professional level are ensured, taking into account the available resources and citizen expectations (Ministério da Saúde, 2015). The need for a systematic quality assessment has led to the development of specific instruments (Serapioni, 2009), such as scales and questionnaires, which analyze different dimensions of care. However, there is a wide range of instruments with various approaches and evaluation criteria. Therefore, this review aims to map and categorize self-report instruments used by nurses, promoting critical reflection and the continuous improvement of care quality. Inclusion criteria: Participants – Nurses. Concept – Instruments for assessing the quality of care. Context – Hospital and community settings, regardless of the type of care. Methods: Scoping review according to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and results reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews – Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR). The data base research includes the CINAHL Complete, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. In order to embrace the non-published studies the research was done in the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Citation Index through the Web of Science platform. It will include studies in Portuguese, English and Spanish. The review considered all primary and secondary studies. A three-step search strategy will be used, and the articles identified in the databases will be organized and, afterwards, the duplicates removed. The analysis, extraction and summary process will be happening by two independent reviewers supported by the Rayyan IT platform. Full texts will be exported into a bibliographic reference management software. The results will be presented in a descriptive format, supported by charts or diagrams, if necessary. Keywords: Instruments; Scales; Quality; Nursing care