Geneva, Switzerland, 5 September 2011 — The International Council of Nurses (ICN) and the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) are delighted to announce the release of a new publication, Nursing Outcome Indicators. The publication provides a cross-map between Canadian Health Outcomes for Better Information and Care (C-HOBIC) and International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP®).

Sponsored by CNA, C-HOBIC enables the collection of standardized clinical outcomes to reflect nursing practice in Canada. It provides a systematic, structured approach to capture outcome measures across acute, continuing complex, long-term and home care settings. Each outcome includes a concept definition, a valid and reliable measure, and empirical evidence with links to nursing inputs or interventions. The concepts address functional status, therapeutic self-care, symptom management and safety.

ICNP®, a program of ICN, is an international standard nursing terminology for use in electronic health records. Using ICNP® as the coding structure for this project, CNA and its partners can demonstrate the feasibility and value of mapping current nursing information to a standardized terminology, and position clinical outcomes reflective of nursing practice for inclusion in the pan-Canadian health record. ICNP® is part of the ICN eHealth Programme, whose vision is to transform nursing through the application of information and communication technology.

“The collaboration that CNA and ICN have undertaken will enhance patient care across the health-care spectrum,” said CNA president Judith Shamian. “By standardizing nursing care data, we can assist all members of the multidisciplinary team in providing the best care.”

“ICN and CNA are enthusiastic about the potential for sharing this work internationally, especially in facilitating the use of electronic health records to collect data on evidence-based, nursing-sensitive outcomes,” said David Benton, CEO of ICN. “These data on outcomes from nursing practice can be used for national and international reporting and provide international comparisons. Use of international standards, such as ICNP® and C-HOBIC, will support efforts to share best practices on achieving patient outcomes across all settings where nurses practice.”

CNA is pleased to have partnered with ICN in this international nursing effort. It will improve communication between health-care professionals, patients and their families to support continuous improvement in patient care outcomes and provide managers with information for decisions about health-care resource allocation, best practices and the impact of nursing.

This work was supported in part by an investment from Canada Health Infoway, a federally funded, independent, not-for-profit organization. Infoway is the Canadian catalyst to accelerate the use of electronic health information systems and electronic health records across the country. More information can be found at www.infoway-inforoute.ca.

More information on ICNP® can be found at www.icn.ch/pillarsprograms/international-classification-for-nursing-practice-icnpr/.

More information on C-HOBIC can be found at www.cna-aiic.ca/c-hobic/about/default_e.aspx.

Editors’ notes:
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a federation of more than 130 national nurses associations representing the millions of nurses worldwide. Operated by nurses and leading nursing internationally since 1899. ICN works to ensure quality nursing care for all and sound health policies globally.

The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) is the national professional voice of registered nurses in Canada. A federation of 11 provincial and territorial nursing associations and colleges representing 143,843 registered nurses, CNA advances the practice and profession of nursing to improve health outcomes and strengthen Canada’s publicly funded, not-for-profit health system.

For further information contact:
Linda Carrier-Walker, International Council of Nurses 
Tel: (+41 22) 908 0100; fax: (+41 22) 908 0101;
www.icn.ch

Kate Headley, Canadian Nurses Association
Tel: 613-237-2159 ext. 561; Cell: 613-697-7507
kheadley@cna-aiic.ca  |  www.cna-aiic.ca