Revising the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses Standards for Critical Care Nursing Practice: A Modified Delphi Protocol

Background: Since 1992, the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses (CACCN) has set the Standards of Practice for Canadian critical care nurses. The current Standards were revised in 2017, after undergoing the fifth review since inception. The Association’s practice has been to review the Standards approximately every five years. Aim: The aim of this protocol is to provide a transparent and replicable process for Standards revision. Methods: A two-phased design that includes a systematic review modelled on Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Scoping Review methodology and second, a Modified-Delphi consensus process. The reporting of this protocol is guided by PRISMA-P reporting guidelines. Outcomes: All items included in the final consensus will be utilized to create the revised sixth edition of the CACCN Standards for Critical Care Nursing Practice. The standards will be published in the Canadian Journal of Critical Care Nursing, posted on the CACCN website (www.caccn.ca), and shared among the CACCN network to help inform Critical Care Nursing practice in Canada. Keywords: practice standards, systematic review, modified-Delphi, critical care nursing, protocol