Nursing interventions in inpatient psychiatry

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Healthcare Informatics

Background:

• The Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) is crucial for standardizing nursing care.
• Its applicability in psychiatric inpatient settings requires validation.
• Accurate classification supports evidence-based practice and quality improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify nursing interventions documented in psychiatric inpatient nursing care literature.
• To evaluate the congruence of identified interventions with the existing NIC labels, definitions, and activities.
• To assess the comprehensiveness of the NIC for psychiatric inpatient nursing.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of MedLine, PsychInfo, Cochrane, and CINAHL databases.
• Qualitative content analysis of journal articles focusing on adult psychiatric inpatient nursing care.
• Comparison of identified nursing interventions with NIC taxonomy.

Main Results:

• Approximately 84% of nursing interventions identified in the literature are covered by the NIC.
• Minimal additions or taxonomic reorganizations are needed for the NIC in this context.
• The NIC demonstrates substantial coverage of psychiatric inpatient nursing interventions.

Conclusions:

• The NIC is largely adequate for describing nursing care in psychiatric inpatient settings.
• Enhancements in NIC development can further promote its adoption and improve nursing quality.
• The classification serves as a valuable tool for psychiatric nurses in daily practice.