Purpose

This review evaluates the effectiveness of using standardized terminologies in nursing.

Methods

A systematic literature review was performed via PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and OVID databases for articles published between January 1973 and September 2020. The Effective Public Health Practice Project's Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies was used to assess the quality of all included studies.

Results

Fourteen studies were selected for data extraction and analysis, which included a total of 24,243 patients and 99 nurses. Of the studies that met the inclusion criteria, the quality of five were of high quality, one was of moderate quality, and eight was of weak quality. All articles were summarized according to two themes: the identification of common outcomes or interventions, and the validation or evaluation of the effectiveness of standard nursing terminology sets.

Conclusion

Standardized terminologies in nursing help nurses to implement care plans according to nursing procedures, supervise changes in patients' sensitive indicators, improve patients' health outcomes, and contribute to evidence-based nursing practices and global data resource sharing.

Implications for nursing practice

Standardized nursing terminologies have positive effects on clinical practice, are essential for enriching nurses' knowledge, and alter nurses’ attitudes regarding education and guidance, which promotes the clinical application of these terminologies.