Development and Effectiveness of a Checklist for Intrahospital Transport of Critically Ill Patients among Intensive Care Unit Nurses: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Purpose : This study aimed to develop and implement a checklist for intrahospital transport (IHT) of critically ill patients and to evaluate its effectiveness on patient safety nursing performance and the incidence of patient safety incidents related to IHT among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses.Methods : A quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was used with 64 nurses working in two ICUs of a tertiary hospital in Seoul, Korea. Data were collected between July and November, 2024. Patient safety nursing performance related to IHT was assessed using a validated instrument, and 60 IHT cases were reviewed to determine the incidence of patient safety incidents. Statistical analyses included paired t-tests and chi-squared tests.Results : After implementation of the IHT checklist, nurses’ patient safety nursing performance related to IHT significantly improved (pre: 4.48±0.31; post: 4.56±0.27; t=-2.30, p =.025). Significant improvements were also observed in pre-transport preparation (p =.035), patient monitoring during transport (p =.002), and post-transport patient management (p =.044). The incidence of patient safety incidents related to events per transport decreased from 66.7% (20/30 cases) before the checklist to 30.0% (9/30 cases) after its use (χ2=8.08, p =.004).Conclusion : The checklist effectively enhanced patient safety nursing performance and reduced adverse events during IHT of critically ill patients. These results highlight the value of structured checklists as simple yet powerful tools for standardizing care, strengthening communication, and improving overall patient safety in complex clinical environments.