Nursing Minimum Data Set: an Essential Need for Iranian Health Care System

Nurses are the largest groups in health care delivery system. Nursing Information systems (NIS) are important for improving nursing performance, increasing nursing knowledge and providing data and information needed for nursing. Identifying Nursing Minimum Data Set (NMDS) is the first step for development of NIS. Considering the absence of NMDS in Iran, this study was conducted with the aim of assessing NMDS needs and giving recommendations for Iran health care system. It was a descriptive developmental study. NMDS was searched in several countries; nursing data elements gathered into a questionnaire and then, were prioritized by experts. Using SPSS-PC (v.16.5), mean scores of priorities were calculated and those with more than 80% of mean score (m=2.9) were selected. Findings showed that most data elements had high priority from within nurses, perspective except “residential status (m=2.34 of 3)”, “nurses, employment startup date (m=2.36 of 3)”, “number of patients (m=2.32 of 3)”, “employment end date (m=2.29 of 3)”, “Reimbursement type (m=2.23 of 3)”, Nurse Gender (m=2.05 of 3) and Nursing budget (m=1.97 of 3). Elements for Iranian Nursing Minimum Data Set (IrNMDS) were offered as nursing care data elements (5 Items), Patient data element (14 Items) and service data element (14 Items). Validity and reliability assessment of data set content, in-service education for nurses and more comprehensive studies regarding the clinical use of this data set is recommended.