Gloria M. Bulechek

Standardizing the language for nursing treatments: An overview of the issues*

The development and use of standardized language in nursing marks the development of a new era of nursing science. It will assist the professional nurse to communicate with colleagues in her or his own facility and across the world. Being able to clearly articulate what it is we do makes visible what previously has been invisible about nursing. When we use standardized language to document the care we give, then we can build large databases, which will articulate with those of other health providers, that can be used to demonstrate the effectiveness of nursing care. As we move into the 21st century, the use of standardized nursing language will become one of the hallmarks of the profession.

Nursing Interventions Core to Specialty Practice

Abstract A Nursing Interventions Classification monograph identifying nursing interventions that are core to each clinical specialty is now available. The identification of such interventions promises to be very useful in the development of nursing information systems, staff education programs and competency evaluation, referral networks, certification and licensing examinations, educational curricula, and research and theory construction.

Nursing Interventions Classification: A Comparison with the Omaha System and the Home Healthcare Classification

Standardized languages for nursing practice are required to meet the needs of the profession and the patients we serve. The authors review and compare three classifications of nursing interventions: Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), the Omaha System, and the Home Healthcare Classification (HHC). The information will help users make the best selection for their agency and client population.

Estimated Time and Educational Requirements to Perform NIC Interventions

PURPOSE To estimate the time to perform and type of personnel to deliver each of the 486 interventions listed and described in the third edition of NIC. METHODS Small groups of research team members rated selected interventions in their area of expertise on education and time needed for each intervention. Education needed was defined as the minimal educational level necessary to perform the intervention in most cases in most states. Rating categories were (a) nursing assistant (NA/LPN/LVN/technician), (b) RN (basic education whether baccalaureate, associate degree, or diploma), or (c) RN with post-basic education or certification. Time needed was defined as the average time needed to perform the intervention. Raters selected one of five possible time estimates: (a) 1 hour. All ratings were reviewed across groups to ensure overall consistency. FINDINGS Results of this exercise provide beginning estimates of the time and education needed for 486 NIC interventions. Twenty percent required 1 hour. More than 70% of the interventions were judged as needing basic RN education to perform. Raters judged RN post-basic education to be required to performi 16% of the interventions, and 14% were deemed appropriate for personnel with NA/LPN education to perform. A monograph, Estimated Time and Educational Requirements to Perform 486 Nursing Interventions, available from http://www.nursing@uiowa.ed/cnc, includes lists of interventions appropriate for each time and education category, as well as time and education ratings according to NIC domains and classes. DISCUSSION The estimates of time and education provided by expert ratings provide a good beginning for cost estimates, resource planning, and reimbursement. The results of this study add to the small but growing body of literature that demonstrates that estimates of time to perform interventions by nurses who are familiar with the interventions is an accurate and efficient method to determine time values. A description of how this information can be used in a costing model is in the July/August 2001 issue of Nursing Economics. CONCLUSIONS NIC has identified the interventions that nurses perform. This study of time to perform and type of personnel to deliver each of the NIC interventions can help nurse leaders make better-informed decisions about cost-effective nursing care.