Abstract
Objective: To identify the assessment tools used in nursing research in adults with chronic diseases. Methods: Integrative review that followed six stages, with a search for primary studies in the Virtual Health Library and in the National Library of Medicine, with the descriptors "adult", "chronic disease", "scale", "instrument", "questionnaire” and “nursing care”. The inclusion criteria were from publications from 2008 to 2018, in Portuguese, English and Spanish. In the initial search, 377 studies were obtained, the criteria were applied, leaving 20, of which 15 made up the final sample. Results: Seven studies evaluated clinical-emotional conditions, self-efficacy, symptoms and quality of life; five measured the benefits of the interventions; and three built new tools. Among the most widely used instruments are the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Beck Depression Inventory and the Mini Mental State Exam. Final considerations: It is considered that the use of assessment tools should be encouraged from academic training, for the construction of clinical reasoning, evaluation and planning of nursing care. The limitations refer to the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the articles, the time frame and the number of databases consulted.