Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC)/Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC)

OVERVIEW OF NIC
 

The Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) is a comprehensive, research-based, standardized classification of interventions that nurses perform. It is useful for clinical documentation, communication of care across settings, integration of data across systems and settings, effectiveness research, productivity measurement, competency evaluation, reimbursement, and curricular design (University of Iowa, 2010). 

NIC interventions are grouped hierarchically into 30 classes within seven domains. The seven domains are:

• Behavioral
• Community
• Family
• Health System
• Physiological: Basic
• Physiological: Complex
• Safety

(Bulechek, G.,  Butcher, H., Dochterman, J., & Wagner, C., 2013).

PURPOSE

NIC provides a standardized classification system for treatments performed by nurses (University of Iowa, 2010). 

IMPORTANCE TO NURSING

The NIC  is important to nurses because it systematically classifies nursing care in clinical settings.  The importance of having a standardized classification of interventions is important because it provides better communication among nurses and other health care providers, increases the visibility of nursing interventions, improves patient care, enhances data collection to evaluate nursing care outcomes, and provides greater adherence to standards of care (Rutherford, 2008). 
 
For an example of a nursing intervention click HERE.

OVERVIEW OF NOC

The Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) is a comprehensive, standardized classification of patient/client outcomes developed to evaluate the effects of interventions provided by nurses or other health care professionals. Standardized outcomes are essential for documentation in electronic records, for use in clinical information systems, for the development of nursing knowledge and the education of professional nurses (University of Iowa, 2010). 

 NOC consists of three levels: domains, classes, and outcomes. The outcomes are organized into 31 classes and 7 domains.  Each outcome consists of a definition, a 5-point measurement
scale or combination of scales, a list of associated indicators for the outcome concept (Lundberg, et al., 2008).  These outcomes are coded for use in the electronic health record.

PURPOSE

The NOC is a system to evaluate the effects of nursing interventions used in nursing care (University of Iowa, 2010). 

IMPORTANCE TO NURSING

The use of NOC allows nurses to determine the outcomes of the care (or interventions) provided to individual patients (Lundberg, et al., 2008).

The use of NOC for use in electronic health records provides an opportunity to conduct effective  outcome data that can be measured at different intervals. For nurses, this effectiveness can identify linkages among the diagnoses; interventions and outcomes for specific patient populations (Lundberg, et al., 2008).   

For an example of nursing outcomes click HERE.

References

Bulechek, G.,  Butcher, H., Dochterman, J., & Wagner, C. (Eds.). (2013). Nursing interventions    classification (NIC) (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

Lundberg, C., Warren, J., Brokel, J., Bulecheck, G., Butcher, H., McCloskey-Dochterman, J.,...& Giarrizzo-Wilson, S. (2008).  Selecting a Standardized Terminology for the Electronic Health Record that Reveals the Impact of Nursing on Patient Care.  Online Journal of Nursing Informatics, 12,2. 

Rutherford, M., (Jan. 31, 2008)  "Standardized Nursing Language: What Does It Mean for Nursing Practice? "OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Vol. 13 No. 1.

University of Iowa.  (2010).  Information retrieved January 29, 2015 from, http://www.nursing.uiowa.edu/center-for-nursing-classification-and-clinical-effectiveness.