Patient outcomes: the link between nursing diagnoses and interventions

The North American Nursing Diagnosis Association classification is approved for nursing diagnoses, the Nursing Intervention Classification system provides a common nursing intervention language but to date there is no complete classification for patient outcomes. An outcome classification system can be used for making effective decisions. Recognizing the need for standardized outcomes, clinical nurse specialists developed a classification of patient outcomes. These outcomes, written to fit the Nursing Intervention Classification taxonomy, incorporate Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory.