Review and update of the data collection instrument used in the Nursing course

Abstract

Data collection instruments allows us to collect relevant and structured data to identify the patient's needs. The research purpose was to review and update the data collection instrument which was used by students for practical activities in the nursing course. It was a methodological study from the analysis, review and update of the domains and items of an instrument through the theoretical frameworks used in the Nursing Care Methodology discipline. The stages of establishing the conceptual structure, defining the objectives, the population involved, building the items, the response scale, selecting, organizing the items, and structuring the instrument were carried out. The updated version of the instrument was sought to obtain an instrument capable of gathering and making available an up-to-date scientific basis to operationalize data collection by adult and elderly students in clinical situations on practical activities in the hospital internship field. The domains of the original instrument were maintained, classified by basic human needs, and were reorganized. The domains included were resulted of exams, prescription drugs, items not evaluated and guidelines for hospital discharge. In each domain, items were included, excluded, and reallocated. The response scale was objective or subjective and open or closed and organized from normality to abnormality. The difficulty in finding theoretical references about patient identification, psychosocial and psychospiritual needs is highlighted; there is a need for adjustments in the presentation, formatting, synthesis, and validation of instrument’s final version.