Do Nursing Patient Classification Systems to Classify Inpatients Impact Outcomes? A Scoping Review

Nursing Patient Classification Systems have been developed and utilized to classify patients based on their nursing needs in several countries. The literature suggests potential benefits of these systems in terms of outcomes.

To map the literature that assesses outcomes in relation to the use of Nursing Patient Classification Systems in hospital settings and to describe them.

A scoping review, based on the methodological framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley, was conducted in 2024. We searched electronic databases (CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science), the OpenGrey database, and consulted stakeholders.

From a total of 964 abstracts initially identified, 4 studies were included in the review. Different Nursing Patient Classification Systems were used to classify only adult inpatients. Outcomes assessed were satisfaction, care areas identified, benefits to the patients, job attitude, and improvement in morale across different populations such as nurses, patients, and clinical partners. No studies assessed outcomes for caregivers, pediatric patients, or hospital organizations.

The literature reports potential benefits related to the use of Nursing Patient Classification Systems and underlines the importance of exploring the relationship between their use and different types of outcomes. Despite this, the results highlight the limited research on this topic. To realize the potential of these systems, it is essential to understand their utility in advance. After implementation in daily practice, the evaluation of outcomes related to the use of these systems should become a standardized practice, contributing to both nursing science and quality improvement.