Use of NANDA,NIC,and NOC in a Baccalaureate Curriculum

BACKGROUND

For the last 8 years, NANDA, NIC, and NOC have been successfully introduced to students in fundamentals courses at Bellin College of Nursing. As students progress through the curriculum, the classifications are expanded and applied to various client populations in all settings. The faculty expect students to use NANDA, NIC, and NOC in a variety of ways: during preparation for care of clients, documentation of client care, discussion of clients in postconference; in formal nursing process papers; and in the college laboratory setting.

MAIN CONTENT POINTS

Through the use of standardized languages, which address all steps of the nursing process, students have been able to plan, implement, and evaluate nursing care in all settings, from primary care to specialty care areas. Application of the NANDA, NOC, and NIC frameworks into a baccalaureate curriculum is desirable because the classifications are research based, comprehensive, and based on current nursing practice. NOC and NIC include physiologic, psychosocial, illness prevention and treatment, health promotion, and alternative therapies. Because of the universal and clinically meaningful language, students are able to communicate and document nursing activities in diverse settings and better define the unique actions and value of nursing.

Feedback from students and faculty has been positive. Faculty members are encouraged to refine and alter course expectations related to NANDA, NOC, and NIC as needed. Students in the fundamentals courses adapt easily to NANDA, NOC and NIC during small group work and during discussion of common client problems, such as constipation.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the frameworks are not used as part of the organizing framework, they are used to teach nursing process and increase students' critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities.