Proposal of a method for clinical validation of ICNP® terminological subsets in hospital practice.

OBJECTIVES: to describe a methodological proposal for the clinical validation of terminological subsets of the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP®), applicable to hospital settings. METHODS: this is a descriptive study that proposes methodological strategies for clinical validation of subsets, incorporating practical application in real care scenarios, evaluation by clinical judges, and statistical tests of agreement. RESULTS: the method consists of five stages: (1) Application of the Nursing Process, focusing on the systematic collection of clinical data; (2) Construction of clinical case studies; (3) Clinical validation of ICNP® statements, conducted by nurse clinical judges; (4) Assessment of agreement among judges using robust statistical analyses; and (5) Synthesis of findings and refinement of the terminological subset. CONCLUSIONS: the method can be replicated in different clinical contexts, strengthening the scientific basis and visibility of nursing practice.