Core Elements, Development, and Implementation Strategies of the Nursing Minimum Data Set: Scoping Review

Nursing care systems face significant challenges due to demographic changes, a workforce shortage, and rising demand for care services. Digital assistive technologies offer potential to address these challenges, but systematic and standardized nursing data are essential to evaluate both innovations and broader care processes. The Nursing Minimum Data Set (NMDS) provides a foundational framework for capturing structured information on nursing care, yet there is no international consensus on its core content, development, and practical use.

This scoping review aims to map current international literature regarding (1) the core content elements of NMDS, (2) methodological approaches used in NMDS development, and (3) implementation and use of NMDS in different nursing settings.

Following the JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) methodology and Arksey and O'Malley framework, a systematic search was conducted on July 2, 2025, in the MEDLINE (via PubMed) and CINAHL (via EBSCO) databases using the term "nursing minimum data set." Inclusion was restricted to studies in English or German focusing on the content, development, or implementation of the NMDS. The research team reviewed studies in an independent and double-blinded fashion for eligibility based on predefined criteria, with discrepancies resolved by consensus. Eligible studies were narratively summarized, with extraction structured into categories based on the review's research questions.

From 1908 initially identified articles, 26 (1.4%) studies met the inclusion criteria. Considerable heterogeneity was found in the structure and scope of the NMDS, with datasets comprising 16 to 145 items. Despite variation, 4 central domains consistently emerged: patient demographics, medical care information, nursing care elements, and institutional or organizational data. NMDS development typically followed a participatory, multistage approach involving literature analysis, stakeholder consensus building, and validation through pretesting and real-world application. Implementation and use of the NMDS serve multiple functions, including documenting nursing care processes, supporting workload measurement and resource planning, quality assurance, benchmarking, and demonstrating nursing's contribution to patient outcomes. However, successful implementation depends on technical, legal, organizational, and educational strategies. Core challenges include a lack of standardized terminology, inconsistent legal frameworks, and varying levels of staff training and acceptance.

The NMDS provides a robust basis for standardized nursing documentation, quality assurance, and health system planning, but international variability and ongoing challenges in harmonization, integration, and acceptability persist. Advancing the NMDS requires collaborative efforts for interoperability, investment in digital infrastructure, and targeted education. Further research should focus on comparative effectiveness, cross-context validation, and strategies to reduce documentation burden while maximizing data utility.