Toward Standard Classification Schemes for Nursing Language: Recommendations of the American Nurses Association Steering Committee on Databases to Support Clinical Nursing Practice

Abstract

The American Nurses Association (ANA) Cabinet on Nursing Practice mandated the formation of the Steering Committee on Databases to Support Clinical Nursing Practice. The Committee has established the process and the criteria by which to review and recommend nursing classification schemes based on the ANA Nursing Process Standards and elements contained in the Nursing Minimum Data Set (NMDS) for inclusion of nursing data elements in national databases. Four classification schemes have been recognized by the Committee for use in national databases. These classification schemes have been forwarded to the National Library of Medicine (NLM) for inclusion in the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) and to the International Council of Nurses for the development of a proposed International Classification of Nursing Practice.