[Some critical remarks on standardised assessment instruments in nursing].
The use of standardised instruments in nursing has rapidly grown and can be seen as a symptom of the necessary comprehensive nursing diagnostics. However, these instruments comprise the risk of misuse, if they are not critically evaluated. Published statements about tests of reliability and validity of an instrument are insufficient. First, the critical evaluation has to ask for the instrument's theoretical and content base: Is the instrument relevant for nursing, suitable for practice and leading to nursing actions? Two examples of well known instruments and different kinds of their utilization in nursing are discussed. Next, the instruments have to be questioned as "bodies with numbers". Studies on reliability and validity have to be as carefully evaluated as other empirical research. The sample, the suitability of agreement indicators (interraterreliability), kind and reason of tests have to be questioned. The same has to be done with tests of validity which comprise an even greater challenge. Methodological studies about these questions are missing; guidelines for test user qualifications need to be developed.
Bartholomeyczik
Sabine
S
Institut für Pflegewissenschaft, Universität Witten/Herdecke. sbartholo@uni-wh.de
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000145:classification; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000592:standards; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000592:standards*; D009733:Nursing Diagnosis / Q000592:standards*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000592:standards; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results