International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP Version 2)

Action 1 of 5

Code Concept - Preferred Term Concept Description

10000386 Action Intentional Process
10001760 Adjusting Organizing: Changing to fit, adapting.
10001773 Administering Distributing: Providing or applying something.
10001901 Advancing Enhancing: Making progress, improving, moving ahead.
10001917 Advising Guiding: Suggesting that the course of action being promoted should be followed.
10001929 Advocating Supporting: Recommending somebody or something by argument.
10002128 Alcoholic Life Style Prevention Protecting
10002171 Alleviating Treating: Making something easier to bear.
10002185 Altering Regulating: Making changes in something or making something different.
10002298 Analysing Evaluating: Synthesizing information about something.
10002401 Anticipatory Guidance Guiding: Directing persons on health related subjects in advance of event.
10002464 Applying Distributing: Making practical use of something.
10002527 Arranging Coordinating: Putting something into required order.
10002641 Aspirating Suctioning: Suctioning or drawing of a substance.
10002673 Assessing Evaluating: Estimating the size, quality or significance of something.
10002850 Assisting Attending: Doing part of the work with or for somebody.
10002911 Attending Action: Being concerned about, waiting on, or looking after somebody or something.
10003012 Auscultating Examining: Listening for sounds within the body.
10003020 Authorising Managing: Giving permission, granting authority.
10003077 Avoiding Preventing: Keeping or getting away from something.
10003134 Bathing Hygiene: Applying water or cleansing material to something.
10003737 Brushing Grooming: Stroking the hair or skin with a brush or cleanse the teeth with a brush.
10003818 Calculating Evaluating: Ascertaining by reckoning or by mathematics.
10004060 Categorising Evaluating: Placing in a category, classifying.
10004094 Catheterising Inserting: Placing a catheter into the body to introduce or remove fluids.
10004162 Changing Performing: Substituting one thing for another.
10004189 Checking Observing: Establishing the accuracy, quality or condition of something.
10004437 Clamping Performing: Gripping, joining or compressing something, i.e. tissue or vessel.
10004444 Cleaning Performing: Removing dirt or contaminating agents, disposing of garbage.
10004542 Collaborating Relating: Working jointly with one or more people.
10004574 Collecting Obtaining: Bringing something together, assembling.
10004640 Combing Grooming: Stroking the hair with a comb.
10004664 Comforting Relating: Consoling somebody in time of need.
10004854 Completing Managing: Bringing to a final stage or end.
10004877 Compressing Manipulating: Squeezing something together.
10005017 Consulting Relating: Seeking advice, obtaining information, sharing ideas and considering jointly.
Relating: Getting in communication with others with the purpose of getting information, 
10005038 Contacting
establishing relations and networking.
10005055 Contamination Prevention Protecting: Preventing pollution or infection.
10005119 Contracting Relating: Making an agreement with somebody.
10005142 Controlling Organizing: Structuring or maintaining functions or actions.
10005190 Coordinating Organizing: Putting or bringing something into proper relation.
10005254 Counselling Guiding: Enabling somebody to come to their own decision through dialogue.
10005265 Counting Observing: Using numbers to determine quantity.
10005296 Covering Performing: Placing something over some or all of the body.
Negotiating: Linking the local health care system's processes and expectations with patient 
10005436 Cultural Brokerage
and family of a different culture.
10005491 Cutting Performing: Shortening, removing, or dividing something.
10005600 Decreasing Altering: Adjusting something to get a lessor or lower result.
Stimulating: Delivering an electric shock through the chest wall to the myocardium for 
10005659 Defibrillating
treatment of cardiac arrhythmia.
10005713 Demonstrating Performing: Showing in publicly observable behaviour.
10005797 Describing Informing: Stating verbally or in writing the characteristics of somebody or something.

Copyright ©2009 by ICN ‐ International Council of Nurses
3, Place Jean Marteau, 1201 ‐ Geneva, Switzerland
 International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP Version 2)
Action 2 of 5

Code Concept - Preferred Term Concept Description

10005824 Determining Action: Finding out or establishing something precisely.
10005848 Developing Promoting: Fostering of growth of an idea, person, or group/community.
10021863 Diagnostic Testing Testing
10006044 Disinfecting Cleaning: Making something free of pathogenic microorganisms.
10006063 Disposing Removing: Getting rid of something.
10006125 Distributing Managing: To deliver, give out, or dispense.
Performing: Providing enjoyment or entertainment to change one's own mood or that of 
10006156 Diverting
others.
10006173 Documenting Describing: Accumulating and recording information.
10006211 Draining Cleaning: Causing something to run or flow away.
10006224 Draping Covering: Putting on pieces of cloth or material.
10006230 Drawing Removing: Extracting fluids.
10006253 Dressing Covering: Putting on or removing clothes.
10006564 Educating Teaching: Giving knowledge of something to somebody.
10006691 Elevating Positioning: Lifting up or raising the entire body or parts of the body.
10006708 Eliciting Communication: Educing, drawing out, or calling forth.
10006796 Empowering Promoting: Enabling people to realize their ability to influence their own health.
10006823 Encouraging Supporting: Giving confidence or hope to somebody.
10006945 Enhancing Promoting: Heightening, intensifying, or improving something already of good quality.
10006950 Ensuring Organizing: Making certain or sure.
10024813 Establishing Communication
Determining: Continuous process to measure progress or the extent to which set goals have 
10007066 Evaluating
been met.
Observing: Inquiring into or looking closely at something or somebody to establish 
10007256 Examining
presence, absence, or characteristics of something.
10007370 Explaining Informing: Making something plain or clear to somebody.
10007499 Facilitating Assisting: Making something easier for somebody.
10007786 Feeding Performing: Giving food or fluids to somebody.
10008070 Flushing Washing: Cleaning or washing with a flush of water with pressure.
10008425 Getting Dressed Or Undressed Hygiene
10008441 Giving Distributing: Transferring something.
10008528 Grooming Hygiene: Brushing and in other ways look after and clean the hair and nails.
10008592 Guiding Informing: Directing somebody towards a decision on health related subjects.
10008642 Hand Holding Touching: Grasping another's hand, personal support and reassurance.
10009198 Hugging Touching: Squeezing tightly in ones arms.
Performing: Bathing, changing clothes, personal turnout, associated with cultural patterns 
10009285 Hygiene
and socio‐economic level.
10009339 Hyperinflating Inflating: Overfilling something with a substance.
10009450 Hypnotising Performing: Inducing a sleep like state by hypnosis.
10009631 Identifying Evaluating: Establishing the identity of somebody or something systematically.
10009762 Immobilising Restraining: Keeping somebody or something restricted in movement.
10012623 Impaired Communicating Act Communication
10009840 Implementing Managing: Using knowledge and skills to put plans into action.
10009935 Incising Cutting: Making a cut in something.
10009961 Increasing Altering: Adjusting something to get the desired result: Higher.
10024884 Increasing Activity Tolerance Increasing
10010039 Inducing Promoting: Helping to bring something about.
10010136 Inflating Performing: Filling something with a substance.
10010162 Informing Action: Telling somebody about something.
10010221 Initiating Regulating: Beginning to make changes in something or to make something different.

10010266 Injecting Inserting: Driving or forcing a needle into a part of the body to introduce substances.

10010324 Inserting Performing: Putting, fitting or placing something in or into a part of the body.
10010348 Inspecting Monitoring: Looking closely in a systematic way at somebody or something.
10010353 Installing Performing: Placing or fixation of an apparatus in position for use.
10010369 Instilling Inserting: Putting a liquid into something gradually in drops.

Copyright ©2009 by ICN ‐ International Council of Nurses
3, Place Jean Marteau, 1201 ‐ Geneva, Switzerland
 International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP Version 2)
Action 3 of 5

Code Concept - Preferred Term Concept Description

10010376 Instructing Teaching: Giving systematic information to somebody about how to do something.

10010492 Interpreting Evaluating: Understanding or explaining something.
10010526 Interrupting Altering: Stopping to make something or to make something different.
10010535 Intervention Action
10010542 Interviewing Determining: Examining by asking questions and eliciting spoken responses.
10010831 Intubating Inserting: Putting, fitting or placing a tube in or into trachea for ventilation.
Interactive Behaviour: Action of being engaged and showing interest in other individuals 
10010877 Involving
and willingness to help others.
10010883 Irrigating Washing: Washing out something with a constant flow of liquid.
10010906 Isolating Restricting: Keeping barriers between, separate somebody from others.
10011205 Laundering Washing: Taking care of washing, drying, ironing or tidying clothes.
Managing: Going in advance, showing the way, purposefully proceeding to elicit a desired 
10011233 Leading
response.
10011354 Limit Setting Restricting: Limiting or constraining behaviour.
Communication: Making an effort to hear other, attentively hearing what others say, take 
10011383 Listening
notice of and respond to others.
10011455 Lowering Positioning: Letting or bring down the entire body or parts of the body.
10011504 Maintaining Regulating: Keeping something up, retaining something or continuing something.
10011625 Managing Action: Being in charge of and bringing order to somebody or something.
10011710 Manipulating Performing: Manually moving a part of the body.
10011723 Manual Aspirating Aspirating: Manual Suctioning.
10011768 Massaging Manipulating: Pressing and rubbing the body or parts of body.
10011813 Measuring Evaluating: Ascertaining numbers to the attributes of something.
10011821 Mechanical Aspirating Aspirating: Mechanical Suctioning.
10011845 Mediating Negotiating: Resolving or setting differences, bring about or settlement.
Manipulating: Using manual pressure and rubbing the breast with hands to withdraw milk 
10012079 Milking
from the breast.
10012080 Minimising Altering: Reducing to a smaller amount, size or degree.
10012120 Mobilising Performing: Rendering something movable.
10012154 Monitoring Determining: Scrutiny of somebody or something on repeated or regular occasions.
Promoting: Causing somebody to act in a particular way or to stimulate the interest of 
10012242 Motivating
somebody in an activity.
10013037 Negotiating Contracting: Conferring with somebody in other to reach a compromise or an agreement.

Interactive Behaviour: Action of creating support using systems of interconnections to relay 
10013118 Networking
information, communicate, make contracts and share experiences among individuals.
10013474 Observing Determining: Noticing and carefully watching somebody or something.
10013572 Obtaining Managing: Gaining possession of something, acquiring.
10013636 Offering Distributing: Giving an opportunity for.
10013712 Optimising Maintaining: Achieving the best result.
10013754 Ordering Managing: Giving a command, requesting to be supplied with something.
10013806 Organising Managing: Giving an orderly structure to something, i.e. bringing something into order.
Managing: Providing comfort and pain control to a person with terminal illness through 
10013984 Palliating
physical emotional psychological and spiritual support.
10013997 Palpating Examining: Examining body parts by using hands.
10014099 Participation Interactive Behaviour: Taking part in something, sharing in an activity.
10014145 Patient Activity Action
10001938 Patient Advocating Advocating: Facilitating a plea on behalf of the patient.
10014289 Percussing Examining: Examining body parts by tapping gently with fingers or instruments.
10014291 Performing Action: Doing a technical task.
10014364 Perioperative Positioning Positioning
10014408 Permitting Controlling: Authorizing or giving an opportunity.
10014648 Planning Coordinating: Considering, ordering, and arranging something in advance.

Copyright ©2009 by ICN ‐ International Council of Nurses
3, Place Jean Marteau, 1201 ‐ Geneva, Switzerland
 International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP Version 2)
Action 4 of 5

Code Concept - Preferred Term Concept Description

10014757 Positioning Performing: Putting somebody or something in a certain position.
10015409 Praising Relating: Expressing approval or admiration of somebody or something.
10015478 Preparing Performing: Getting or making somebody or something ready.
Ordering: Designating the use of a remedy or regimen, directing the administration of a 
10015510 Prescribing
remedy or treatment.
10015575 Presencing Relating: Being available in times of need.
Performing: Putting pressure onto something using fingers and hands, ability to exert 
10015599 Pressing
pressure on an object using hands.
10015620 Preventing Attending: Stopping or hindering something from happening.
10015736 Prioritising Planning: Ordering something into terms of precedence in rank.
10015770 Profiling Identifying: Systematically identifying health behaviours and needs of a population.
10015801 Promoting Assisting: Helping to begin or advance something for somebody.
Preventing: Keeping somebody or something safe from something or taking precautions 
10015864 Protecting
against something.
10015935 Providing Distributing: Making something ready for somebody.
Inserting: Driving or forcing a needle into a blood vessel or body cavity to draw or remove 
10016152 Puncturing
substances.
10016181 Purifying Disinfecting: Acting as an antiseptic, ridding something of impurities.
Getting Dressed or Undressed: Choosing and getting of clothes, putting on clothes, 
10016199 Putting On Clothes buttoning and fastening of clothes on upper as well as lower body, using of zippers, putting 
on socks, stockings, footwear e.g. shoes and boots.
10016201 Putting On Or In Installing: Placing, putting, fitting appliances, equipment etc. in position for use.
10016480 Reassuring Supporting: allaying fear and restoring confidence.
Describing: Stating a piece of evidence or information constituting an account of something 
10016498 Recording
that has occurred or been said.
10016576 Referring Coordinating: Sending on or directing a person to someone or something.
10016613 Regulating Controlling: Adjusting something to get the desired result.
10016645 Rehabilitating Restoring: Reinstating effective functions or normal life by training, especially after illness.
10016650 Reinforcing Supporting: Strengthening something or somebody.
10016678 Relating Attending: Establishing or continuing connection with one or more individuals, to interact.
10016716 Relieving Treating: Lessening, ending or removing something.
10016763 Removing Performing: Taking something off or taking something down.
10016771 Reporting Describing: Making an account or summation of events or observations.
10016873 Requesting Coordinating: Asking somebody to do something, order something.
10017004 Responding Action: Reply, answer, to act in return.
Treating: Bringing back to a former or original condition, renewing, reviving mental and 
10017140 Restoring
physical rejuvenation.
10017155 Restraining Restricting: Keeping somebody or something within bounds.
Controlling Act with the specific characteristics: Keeping somebody or something within 
10017172 Restricting
physical bounds.
10017193 Resuscitating Restoring: Making somebody or something revive to life.
Washing: Washing lightly with clean water or other liquid in order to remove unwanted 
10017247 Rinsing
substances.
Manipulating: Moving ones hand or other object with firm pressure over the surface of the 
10017397 Rubbing
body.
Protecting: Performing activities directed towards preventing and avoiding accidents, 
hazards or endangerment known specifically to cause damage and harm, performing actives 
10017439 Safety Measure
directed at maintaining environmental safety, associated with use of protective devices 
such as gloves and helmet.
10017528 Scheduling Planning: Making a schedule, i.e. timetable.
Examining: Distinguishing between those who are suffering from a disease or other 
10017585 Screening
phenomenon and those who are not.
10017619 Scrubbing Cleaning: Rubbing hard, especially with a stiff brush.
10017912 Setting Up Act Preparing: Placing something in position for use.

Copyright ©2009 by ICN ‐ International Council of Nurses
3, Place Jean Marteau, 1201 ‐ Geneva, Switzerland
 International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP Version 2)
Action 5 of 5

Code Concept - Preferred Term Concept Description

10018009 Shampooing Cleaning: Washing with water and cleaning substance to clean and remove microorganisms.

10018013 Shaving Cutting: Cutting hair or beard.
10018343 Soaking Bathing: Causing something to absorb as much liquid as possible.
10018370 Social Isolating Life Style Prevention Protecting
10018729 Stabilising Maintaining: Making something unlikely to change.
10018738 Staging Categorizing: Determining the extent or progression of a problem.
10018826 Sterilising Cleaning: Making something free of microorganisms.
10018842 Stimulating Performing: Inciting or rousing something.
Cleaning: Removing air or liquid from a vessel or cavity so as to produce a partial vacuum in 
10019038 Suctioning
order to remove something.
10019093 Supervising Monitoring: Overseeing the progress of somebody or something.
Assisting: Giving social or psychological help to somebody to succeed, keeping somebody or 
10019142 Supporting
something from failing and to bear the weight of and maintain in position, hold up.
10019174 Suppressing Interrupting: Putting an end to the activity or existence of something.
10019277 Surveillance Monitoring: Close observation of a person or group, continuous monitoring.
10019283 Surveying Monitoring: Scanning of somebody or something repeatedly and regularly over time.
10019334 Suturing Performing: Sewing up a wound.
Getting Dressed or Undressed: Removing of clothes by unbuttoning, unfastening, and 
10019427 Taking Off Clothes unzipping clothes on upper as well as lower body; removing socks, stockings, footwear; 
folding, hanging and putting clothes away such as in a drawer or closet.
10019436 Talking Communication: Conversing by means of spoken language, articulating words.
10019502 Teaching Informing: Giving systematic information to somebody about health related subjects.
Treating: Actions to terminate unplanned, unwanted or life threatening pregnancy by 
10019587 Termination of Pregnancy
abortion.
10019594 Testing Evaluating: Trying out or making a trial of somebody or something.
10019807 Toileting Hygiene
10019905 Touching Relating: Using one’s hands in purposeful tactile contact.
Identifying: Observing, discovering or finding vestiges or signs of somebody or something by 
10019967 Tracing
investigating.
Instructing with the specific characteristics: Developing skills of somebody or functions of 
10020007 Training
something.
10020030 Transferring Positioning: Moving somebody or something from one place to another.
10020076 Transporting Performing: Carrying or moving from one place to another.
10020133 Treating Attending: Caring by lessening, ending, removing or restoring something.
Prioritising: Assigning degrees of urgency to decide the order of treatments of wounds, 
10020179 Triaging
illnesses etc.
10020228 Turning Positioning: Causing to move position so as to face in a different direction.
Performing: Introducing an antigen to stimulate development of immunity of individuals 
10020552 Vaccinating
and protect them against a specific disease and inoculating with a vaccine.
10020696 Ventilating Performing: Causing air to move freely through.
10020727 Verifying Evaluating: Establishing the truth or correctness of something.
10020935 Washing Cleaning: Making something clean with water or other liquid and a cleansing agent.
10020990 Weaning Interrupting: Causing somebody not to depend on something.
Measuring: Ascertaining the weight of something or somebody and expressing it in 
10021023 Weighing
numbers.

Copyright ©2009 by ICN ‐ International Council of Nurses
3, Place Jean Marteau, 1201 ‐ Geneva, Switzerland