Title: Standardized Nursing Language: What Does It Mean for Nursing Practice?
Headings: 
Standardized Nursing Language: What Does It Mean for Nursing Practice?
Abstract
Standardized Language Defined
Benefits of Standardized Languages
Better Communication among Nurses and Other Health Care Providers
Increased Visibility of Nursing Interventions
Improved Patient Care
Enhanced Data Collection to Evaluate Nursing Care Outcomes
Greater Adherence to Standards of Care
Facilitated Assessment of Nursing Competency
Implications of Standardized Language for Nursing Education, Research, and Administration
Summary
Current Standardized Nursing Languages and Their Applications
Author
References

Content: The statement led the author to wonder how many practicing nurses might benefit from an article explaining how standardized nursing languages will improve patient care and play an important role in building a body of evidence-based outcomes for nursing. Most articles in the nursing literature that reference standardized nursing languages are related to research or are scholarly discussions addressing the fine points surrounding the development or evaluation of these languages. Although the value of a specific, standardized nursing language may be addressed, there often is limited, in-depth discussion about the application to nursing practice. Practicing nurses need to know why it is important to document care using standardized nursing languages, especially as more and more organizations are moving to electronic documentation (ED) and the use of electronic health records. In fact, it is impossible for medicine, nursing, or any health care-related discipline to implement the use of ED without having a standardized language or vocabulary to describe key components of the care process. It is important to understand the many ways in which utilization of nursing languages will provide benefits to nursing practice and patient outcomes. Norma Lang has stated, "If we cannot name it, we cannot control it, practice it, teach it, finance it, or put it into public policy" ( Clark & Lang, 1992, p. 109). Although nursing care has historically been associated with medical diagnoses, ...today nursing needs a unique language to express what it does so that nurses can be compensated for the care provided. nurses need an explicit language to better establish their standards and influence the regulations that guide their practice. A standardized nursing language should be defined so that nursing care can be communicated accurately among nurses and other health care providers.