Work complexity assessment, nursing interventions classification, and nursing outcomes classification: making connections.

When nurses understand what interventions are needed to achieve desired patient outcomes, they can more easily define their practice. Work Complexity Assessment (WCA) is a process that helps nurses to identify interventions performed on a routine basis for their specific patient population. This article describes the WCA process and links it to the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) and the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC). WCA, NIC, and NOC are all tools that help nurses understand the work they do and the outcomes they achieve, and that thereby acknowledge and validate nursing's contribution to patient care.