Development and Validation of a Computerized Assessment Form to Support Nursing Diagnosis

PURPOSE: Describe the development and validation of the Nursing Assessment Form (NAF), within a clinical nursing information system, to support nurses in the identification of nursing diagnoses. METHODS: Content validity and consensus on NAF contents were established using a panel of experts in nursing diagnosis and Delphi rounds. FINDINGS: Expert consensus was achieved to validate an instrument to support nurses in the process of nursing diagnoses identification. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the NAF can help nurses in diagnostic reasoning, facilitating the identification of the more suitable nursing diagnoses, and provide a basis for the best nursing interventions and outcomes. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: The use of computerized decision support can improve the implementation of standardized terminology and the accuracy of nursing diagnosis.