The ICF categories identified in nursing interventions administered to neurological patients with post-acute rehabilitation needs.

Purpose: The objectives of this study were (1) to determine whether the ICF covers the goals of nursing interventions and (2) to identify the areas of functioning, disability and health most relevant to nursing practice of neurological patients with early post-acute rehabilitation needs.

Methods: This cross-sectional study on nursing interventions is part of a larger multicentric cross-sectional study describing functioning, disability and health. The nursing interventions were recorded by nurses in charge of the patient. According to established rules, the recorded nursing interventions were linked to the ICF.

Results: One hundred and eighteen different nursing interventions were documented by the nursing staff. The intervention goals were linked to 67 different second-level ICF categories. Thirty belong to the component Body Functions, 19 to the component Body Structures, 13 to the component Activities and Participation, and five to the component Environmental Factors.

Conclusions: The fact that all nursing interventions in early post-acute rehabilitation facilities could be linked to ICF categories supports the usefulness of the ICF in nursing. Initial problems in adapting profession-specific terminology to the ICF framework can be overcome, as shown by our linking exercise. Further analyses will be needed to show if these theoretical findings are supported by empirical evidence.