Nursing Outcomes Classification

"The Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) is a comprehensive, standardized classification of patient/client outcomes developed to evaluate the effects of interventions provided by nurses or other health care professionals. Standardized outcomes are essential for documentation in electronic records, for use in clinical information systems, for the development of nursing knowledge and the education of professional nurses. An outcome is a measurable individual, family, or community state, behavior or perception that is measured along a continuum and is responsive to nursing interventions. The outcomes are developed for use in all settings and with all patient populations. Clinical sites used to test the NOC included tertiary care hospitals, community hospitals, community agencies, nursing centers, and a nursing home. The outcomes are developed for use in all settings and can be used across the care continuum to follow patient outcomes throughout an illness episode or over an extended period of care. Since the outcomes describe patient/client status, other disciplines may find them useful for the evaluation of their interventions.

The 490 outcomes in Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) (5th ed.) are listed in alphabetical order. Each outcome has a definition, a list of indicators that can be used to evaluate patient status in relation to the outcome, a target outcome rating, scale(s) to measure patient status, and a short list of references used in the development and refinement of the outcome. A five-point Likert scale is used with all outcomes and indicators. A rating of a '5' is always the best possible score and '1' is always the worst possible score. Examples of measurement scales used with the outcomes are: 1=Extremely compromised to 5= Not compromised and 1=Never demonstrated to 5=Consistently demonstrated. The NOC outcomes are grouped in a coded taxonomy that organizes the outcomes within a conceptual framework to facilitate identifying an outcome. The 490 outcomes are grouped into thirty-two classes and seven domains for ease of use. The seven domains are: Functional Health, Physiologic Health, Psychosocial Health, Health Knowledge & Behavior, Perceived Health, Family Health, and Community Health. Each outcome has a unique code number that facilitates its use in computerized clinical information systems and allows manipulation of data to answer questions about nursing care quality and effectiveness. The classification is continually updated to include new outcomes and to revise outcomes based on new research or user feedback."