Establishing Competency in the Use of North American Nursing Diagnosis Association, Nursing Outcomes Classification, and Nursing Interventions Classification Terminology

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a 16-hour intervention designed to build clinician competency in the use of North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA), Nursing Outcome Classification (NOC), and Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) (hereinafter: N3) among nurses with limited N3 knowledge. Each of 19 pairs of nurses independently selected N3 terms and rated the outcomes applicable to an actual patient for a specified time. A pair-through discussion then created a single consensus patient profile of the applicable terms. Before discussion, pairs agreed on 46% of the NANDA diagnoses, 30% of the NOC outcomes, and 20% of the NIC interventions selected. Eighty-nine percent of NOC label pair ratings were within 1 point. Building competency in N3 requires consistent use in written and oral communication with peers across time. Inter-rater reliabilities (IRRs) for NOC label ratings support previous findings.