More than terminology: using ICNP to enhance nursing's visibility in Italy.
BACKGROUND
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has elaborated an international terminology for nursing practice [International Classification of Nursing Practice (ICNP)] that can be useful to catalogue the problems of a nursing nature in diagnosis and also find a system for the classification of nursing activities. ICNP is also the reason why the Italian association Consociazione, representing Italian Nurses at ICN, through the School of Advanced Nursing of the University 'La Sapienza' of Rome, has set up a working group for the translation and experimentation of the ICNP version Beta 2.


BACKGROUND
In this article the ICNP beta translation and validation into Italian is considered with some scenarios of how benefit could be derived by its utilization for nursing's visibility. The visibility of nursing care can be measured not only through patient outcomes but also by studying the existing data of patient care documentation. To have a common language and terminology in nursing is important for a universal understanding.


RESULTS
Some philosophical reasoning on the genesis and development of ICNP is discussed along with arguments for and against nursing classification systems. Some findings on Italian experimentation for nursing documentation as well as economical analysis are reported along with a vision for future development and utilization.
Sansoni
J
J
Department of Public Health, University of Rome La Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 00185, Rome, Italy. julita.sansoni@uniroma1.it
Giustini
M
M
D003625:Data Collection; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups / Q000191:economics; D004282:Documentation; D004471:Economics, Nursing; D005544:Forecasting; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007392:International Council of Nurses; D038622:Internationality; D007558:Italy; D019359:Knowledge; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000145:classification*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009737:Nursing Records; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms / Q000191:economics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012660:Semantics; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D014175:Translating; D018875:Vocabulary, Controlled