Development of the nurse care assessment for in-hospital spinal cord injury rehabilitation

This study developed a tool, the NCA-SCI, to assess the nursing care needs of patients with spinal cord injuries during their hospital rehabilitation. The goal was to create a practical way to categorize patients based on how much nursing care they require. The tool was created with input from experienced nurses and occupational therapists, ensuring it covered important aspects of patient care. It was refined through several versions based on feedback from clinical practice. The NCA-SCI helps classify patients into different categories based on their care needs, ranging from those needing minimal assistance to those requiring extensive care. This classification can help in planning and coordinating daily care.

• 1
  The NCA-SCI was developed through an iterative process involving experienced clinicians, resulting in a 17-item tool across five categories of nursing assistance.
• 2
  Inter-rater reliability showed 81.4% agreement (Kappa = 0.69), while intra-rater reliability had 78.9% agreement (Kappa = 0.65), indicating moderate reliability.
• 3
  The tool was iteratively refined over three rounds based on comparisons between the instrument’s scoring and the nurses’ assessments, achieving complete agreement by the third round.