ICNP International Classification of Nursing Practice: origin, structure and development

ICNP is a standardized nursing terminology included within acknowledged terminologies by WHO, it is a relevant aspect of ICN programs and strategies. This paper aims to describe structure and characteristics of ICNP terminology as well as to highlight how this tool can be useful both in practice and in terms of nursing professional development. This version looks like a pyramid with seven axes describing different areas of nursing and related interventions, enriched by two special axes related to pre-coordinated Diagnosis / Outcomes (DC) and Operations (IC) which facilitate daily use in practice. In order to clarify how this tool can be actually be used in daily nursing practice some examples are provided, clarifying how adopting the current version of ICNP terminology (2015 release) Diagnosis/Outcomes and Interventions can be built. The ICNP Italian Centre is committed to introduce it to Italian nurses as a tool for sharing and disseminating terminology in our Country, having as main final aim to achieve even in Italy, professional visibility objectives promoted in different ways by the International Council of Nurses.