Safe practices for bed bathing in the intensive care unit: validation of a checklist

Objective: To validate a checklist for safe bathing in critically ill patients. Methods: This is a methodological and quantitative study. Researchers developed a checklist for safe bathing in critically ill patients consisting of 41 items, which were submitted to the apparent and content validation process, evaluated by eleven judges, and interobserver reliability. For reliability analysis, the instrument was applied in 54 bed bath procedures in the ICU; Kappa and CHF tests were used. Results: In the apparent and content validation, adjustments were made according to the judges'suggestions. Kappa values ranged from moderate to almost perfect (0.462 to 0.962), and, in some items, there was 100% agreement; the reliability of the instrument was excellent (ICC = 0.962). Conclusion: The instrument proved to be dependable and easy to apply. Its use will contribute to safe bed bathing and subsidize interventions aimed at increasing the quality of care.