[Intensive care nursing discharge reports in Spain: present situation and analysis]

To determine the ICUs of Spain that fill out nursing discharge report, analyze what information they supply and know how the information on the patients is provided by the ICUs that do not use this record.

Observational descriptive study. The nursing discharge reports issued by the ICUs were analyzed. For the units that did not fill them out, it was documented how they provided information on the patient to the ward.

A total of 259 ICU (83%) responded and 176 (68%) filled out the nursing discharge report, which was sent with the patient's history in all the units. A total of 99% of the reports included information on the eating and elimination needs and 7% on living according to beliefs in their structure. One hundred percent requested information on the perception/control and nutritional/metabolic patterns; 1% on sexuality/reproduction. Forty three (54%) of the 79 ICU (30%) that did not fill out a nursing discharge report accompanied the patient to the ward and gave an oral report. In all, 242 ICU (93%) provided information to the ward professionals added to that contained in the clinical history.

a) the nursing professionals in a significant number of intensive care units filled out a discharge report when the patient was transferred to the ward; b) assessment of basic biological aspects prevailed in these reports over psychological and socioculture aspects; c) the units that did not fill out a discharge report accompany the patient to the ward or give a report by telephone of the patient's situations to the destination ward; and d) most of the ICUs guarantee the continuity of nursing cares when the patient is discharged, either by filling out a nursing discharge report, accompanying the patient to the ward or calling by telephone to the ward's professionals.