The International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP®) is a classification system that unifies the elements of nursing practice (diagnoses, interventions and outcomes), enabling elucidation of elements of a specific nursing language through the construction of terminology subsets. In this reflective essay, aspects relevant to the construction of ICNP® terminology subsets are highlighted, as well as their contributions to clinical nursing practice. The development of subsets as a tool that contributes to making nursing language universal, facilitates the communication process, as well as the scientific and technological advancement of the profession, is discussed. Therefore, its use by nurses worldwide is encouraged.
Nursing; Terminology; Vocabulary; Classification