The importance of using standardized nursing languages (SNL) within electronic health records (EHR) will be a focus of the 2011 NANDA International Latin American Symposia, "Speaking the Same Language An International Initiative for Nursing Diagnosis" in Sao Paulo, Brazil, June 3-4, 2011. (NANDA-I is a professional nursing association that develops, refines and publishes terminology accurately reflecting nurses' clinical judgments.)

"This event marks the first time that NANDA-I has held a symposia in Latin America and it is a testament to the high quality nursing research, implementation and education underway in Latin American countries," said T. Heather Herdman, PhD, RN, Symposia Chair and Executive Director of NANDA-I. "We look forward to recognizing nursing leaders involved in NANDA-I and to providing networking and collaboration opportunities for nurses from around the world."

Highlights of the Symposia will include keynote speaker, Dr. Shigemi Kamitsuru, NANDA-I Diagnosis Development Committee Chair, who will discuss and share insights on, "Do we really need to clarify concepts to use nursing diagnoses?" Dr. Kamitsuru received her PhD from Boston College in 1996, with an emphasis on research on diagnostic concept development. She is a self-employed nurse consultant, specializing in nursing diagnosis education. Dr. Kamitsuru serves on the Board of Directors of the Japan Society of Nursing Diagnosis.

The Symposia will feature presentations on a variety of topics including:

-- NANDA International taxonomy

-- Nursing diagnosis research methods

-- Nursing diagnosis education and implementation strategies

-- Administrative use of SNL within the EHR

The Symposia emphasis on the use SNL within the EHR directly links to patient safety. The use of SNL allows the nursing profession to clearly and unambiguously capture, quantify and track the hours nursing professionals spend on patient care assessment, planning and services.

"No matter what part of the nursing profession you're involved with, this is the perfect opportunity to learn more about standardized nursing language," added Herdman.

Source: NANDA International