Taxonomy of Practices and Nursing Practice

Taxonomy of Nursing Practice

    The Taxonomy of Nursing Practice ( Dochterman & Jones, 2003)
consists of four domains and 28 classes. The structure resulted from an
invitational conference effort in 2001 to provide an organizing structure
useful for all nursing classifications to promote linkages among diagnoses,
interventions, and outcomes. 

    It is a structure that is different from the
existing structures of NANDA, NIC, and NOC, yet is not a radical departure from
any. It is also placed in the public domain, available for use by any group or
individual. 

    The 2004 editions of NIC and NOC include placements of
interventions and outcomes in this structure as well as their own structures.
The NNN Alliance Conference in March 2004 includes sessions to further the
ongoing effort to refine and use this common taxonomy.

Benefits of Taxonomy 

    A taxonomy that classifies nursing knowledge is useful to assist
the clinician in identifying related concepts, and assists in the designing of
nursing information systems and in organizing nursing curricula. 

    The
organization of nursing knowledge helps to identify what is known and can be
used to support clinical decision making, and what is not known and needs more
research. Multiple other benefits of taxonomy are also mentioned in the
literature.