Aims. With the aim to identify the instruments validated for Italian nursing practice, a
systematic review of the literature was undertaken.
Results. A total of 101 instruments emerged. The majority (89; 88.1%) were developed
in other countries; the remaining (14; 13.9%) were developed and validated in the Italian
context. The instruments were developed to measure patient’s problems (63/101;
62.4%), outcomes (27/101; 26.7%), risks (4/101; 4%) and others issues (7/101; 6.9%).
The majority of participants involved in the validation processes were younger adults (49;
48.5%), older adults (40; 39.5%), children (4; 4%), adolescents (3; 3%), and children/adolescents
(1; 1%). The instruments were structured primarily in the form of questionnaires
(61; 60.4%), as a grid for direct observation (27; 26.7%) or in other forms (12; 11.9%).
Among the 101 instruments emerged, there were 1 to 7 validation measures documented
with on average 3.2 (95% CI 2.86-3.54) for each instrument.
Conclusions. Developing validation studies giving priority to those instruments widely
adopted in the clinical nursing practice is recommended