Abstract

Pensar Enfermagem / v.00 n.00 / month 2025 / DOI: 10.71861/pensarenf.v30iSup.502 / e00502

Safety in Transition of Care for Critically Ill Patients: Systematic

Literature Review Protocol

Eliana Sousa1 *, Paulo Machado2, Diana Rodrigues3, Cristina Baixinho4

1 PhD student, MsN, RN, Nursing School of the University of Porto (ESEUP), Nursing Research Innovation and Development Centre of Lisbon

(CIDNUR), School of Nursing, Universidade de Lisboa. Lisbon. Portugal; orcid.org/0000-0003-2574-7533

2 PhD, MsN, RN, RISE-Health, Nursing School of the University of Porto (ESEUP), Porto, Portugal; orcid.org/0000-0002-3187-6860

3 PhD, MsN, RN, RISE-Health, Nursing School of the University of Porto (ESEUP), Porto, Portugal; orcid.org/0000-0002-7602-1313

4 PhD, MsN, RN, Nursing Research Innovation and Development Centre of Lisbon (CIDNUR), School of Nursing, Universidade de Lisboa, Center

for Innovative Care and Health Technology (ciTechcare), Lisboa, Portugal; orcid.org/0000-0001-7417-1732

* Autor de correspondência: epsousa@campus.esel.pt

Abstract

Introduction

The transition of care refers to the process of transferring responsibility and sharing relevant and accurate

clinical information regarding a patient’s health status from one healthcare professional to another.1 Factors

such as the lack of standardized procedures, time pressure, clinical complexity of patients, shortages in human

resources, and inadequate professional training2 have been identified as compromising the safety and

effectiveness of care transitions. These factors increase the likelihood of diagnostic and therapeutic errors, with

potentially serious consequences for patients, including permanent injury, as well as economic implications for

healthcare institutions.3 Such adverse events are more frequently observed during transitions between the

emergency department and intensive care units.

Objective

To synthesize the existing scientific evidence on nursing interventions that ensure an effective care transition

for critically ill patients.

Methods

This will be a mixed-methods systematic review, following the guidelines of JBI and PRISMA-P. A

comprehensive search will be conducted in the following databases: CINAHL, MEDLINE (via PubMed),

Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane, and JBI. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies will be

included. The review will consider studies that explore nursing interventions in the care transition of critically

ill patients between emergency departments and intensive care units, with a focus on the effectiveness and

safety of this transition.

Results

This systematic review is expected to provide a comprehensive overview of the available evidence regarding

communication and information transfer among nurses, to identify the methods, techniques, and protocols

used to address this issue, as well as the instruments employed to monitor adverse events associated with the

care transition process. The findings of this review may help identify practices that contribute to improved

continuity of care and patient safety.

Keywords

Transition Care; Critical Care; Nursing; Emergency Service; Intensive Care Unit; Review.

References

1. Flink M, Tessma M, Småstuen MC, Lindblad M, Coleman EA, Ekstedt M. Measuring care

transitions in Sweden: Validation of the care transitions measure. Int J Qual Heal Care [Internet].

2018 [cited 8 Sep 2025];30(4):291–7. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzy001

2. Zhang W, Lv J, Zhao J, Ma X, Li X, Gu H, et al. Proactive risk assessment of intrahospital transport

of critically ill patients from emergency department to intensive care unit in a teaching hospital and

its implications. J Clin Nurs [Internet]. 2022 [cited 8 Sep 2025];31(17–18):2539–52. Available from:

https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.16072