Participation in the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) programme.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Informatics
• Health Terminology Standards
• Ontology Engineering

Background:

• The International Council of Nurses (ICN) developed the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) as a unified nursing language.
• Previous versions (Alpha, Beta, Beta 2) focused on concept validation and multi-axial structures for nursing phenomena and actions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and maintenance processes of the ICNP Programme, emphasizing increased participation.
• To detail the evolution and implementation of ICNP, particularly focusing on ICNP Version 1.0.

Main Methods:

• Development and testing of ICNP versions, including concept validation and classification.
• Application of description logics and Web Ontology Language (OWL) in Protégé for ICNP Version 1.0's compositional terminology.
• Representation in a 7-Axis multiaxial model for composing nursing statements.

Main Results:

• ICNP Version 1.0, launched in 2005, utilizes compositional terminology and a 7-Axis model for nursing diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes.
• ICNP conforms to international standards like ISO and HL7, facilitating cross-mapping with existing terminologies.
• Implementation requires language translations and clinical information systems integration for point-of-care use.

Conclusions:

• Standardized ICNP terminology in healthcare environments enables practice comparison across settings and countries.
• Facilitates data-driven clinical and management decisions, contributing to best practice guidelines and optimal patient outcomes.
• Ongoing development and maintenance processes aim to increase global participation and adoption of ICNP.