Hospital patient flow simulation is critical in understanding and improving healthcare system performance. However, validating these complex simulation models poses significant challenges due to the dynamic nature of hospital environments and the lack of standardized validation methods. While various reviews have explored discrete event simulation (DES) applications in hospital settings, comprehensive validation techniques for inpatient units remain scarce. This study analyzes 15 published hospital inpatient flow DES studies over the last decade. We investigate validation techniques and performance metrics reported. Our objective is to provide insights into common validation practices used to enhance the accuracy of these models. The results indicate that the most used validation technique is face validation. Also commonly used are comparisons of summary statistics and errors, as well as confidence intervals of the means of metrics related mainly to patient flow volume.