What are some examples of nursing interventions?

September 27, 2025 •

3 min read

According to a study on the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), there are over 550 standardized nursing interventions, highlighting the vast scope of a nurse's role in patient care. These actions are central to promoting, maintaining, and restoring a patient's health and are crucial to understanding what are some examples of nursing interventions.

Quick Summary

Nursing interventions are the treatments, procedures, and educational actions nurses perform to enhance a patient's comfort and achieve specific health goals, categorized by the nurse's level of autonomy. Examples include independent actions like repositioning, dependent actions based on physician orders like medication administration, and collaborative tasks involving the wider healthcare team.

Key Points

Independent Interventions: Actions a nurse can perform autonomously, such as providing patient education, repositioning for comfort, and offering emotional support.
Dependent Interventions: Actions that require a physician's order, including administering medications, starting IV fluids, and inserting a catheter.
Interdependent Interventions: Collaborative tasks involving multiple healthcare professionals, such as coordinating a patient's rehabilitation plan with a physical therapist.
NIC Classification: The Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) organizes interventions into seven domains, including physiological, behavioral, and safety categories, to standardize practice.
Condition-Specific Examples: Interventions are tailored to specific conditions, with examples including pain assessment and medication administration, fall risk mitigation strategies, and blood glucose education for diabetes.
Holistic Approach: The full scope of nursing interventions addresses physical, emotional, and psychological needs, emphasizing a holistic approach to patient care.
Assessment and Evaluation: Effective interventions are preceded by a thorough patient assessment and followed by evaluation to ensure the care plan remains appropriate and effective.

Understanding the Core of Nursing Interventions

Nursing interventions are the actions nurses perform to help patients achieve desired health outcomes, based on evidence and tailored to individual needs. They are a critical part of the nursing process, following assessment and leading to evaluation.

The Three Classifications of Nursing Interventions

Nursing interventions are generally classified based on the level of autonomy the nurse has in initiating them: independent, dependent, and interdependent.

Independent Nursing Interventions

These are actions nurses can perform based on their own judgment and knowledge, without a doctor's order. Examples include:

Providing patient education on topics like medication or self-care.
Offering emotional support through active listening and reassurance.
Assisting with positioning and mobility to prevent complications and promote physical health.
Implementing non-pharmacological pain management techniques like distraction or applying heat/cold.

Dependent Nursing Interventions

Dependent interventions require a specific order from a physician or other authorized healthcare provider. Examples include:

Administering prescribed medications.
Starting intravenous (IV) lines and administering IV fluids.
Performing specific, ordered wound care procedures.
Inserting a urinary catheter.

Interdependent (Collaborative) Nursing Interventions

These interventions involve working with other members of the healthcare team, such as physical therapists or dietitians, to provide comprehensive care. Examples include:

Coordinating rehabilitation plans after surgery.
Developing discharge plans with social workers and physicians.
Collaborating with dietitians on patient nutritional therapy.

Examples of Interventions by Domain (NIC Classification)

The Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) provides a structured way to categorize nursing interventions into domains. Key domains and examples include:

Physiological: Basic: Focuses on fundamental physical care, such as bathing, oral hygiene, feeding, and repositioning.
Physiological: Complex: Involves more specialized care like IV insertion, fluid and electrolyte management, and advanced respiratory care.
Behavioral: Addresses psychological and behavioral needs, including coping strategies, crisis counseling, and addiction support.
Safety: Aims to protect patients from harm, with examples like fall prevention and providing post-operative education.

Nursing Interventions for Common Conditions

Interventions are often tailored to specific patient conditions:

Nursing Interventions for Pain

Assess pain regularly.
Administer and evaluate prescribed pain medication.
Use non-pharmacological methods like relaxation.
Create a calm environment.

Nursing Interventions for Fall Risk

Conduct fall risk assessments.
Ensure a safe environment by keeping beds low and removing clutter.
Educate patients on safe movement.

Nursing Interventions for Diabetes

Educate patients on blood glucose monitoring and insulin administration.
Monitor injection sites.
Collaborate with a dietitian on meal planning.

Comparing Types of Nursing Interventions


Intervention Type	Autonomy Level	Example	Requires Order?	Focus	Potential Outcome
Independent	Full autonomy	Patient education on medication side effects	No	Patient empowerment, comfort, prevention	Increased knowledge, improved compliance
Dependent	Requires orders	Administering prescribed medication	Yes	Treating medical diagnoses	Symptom management, disease treatment
Interdependent	Collaborative	Coordinating with a physical therapist for post-op care	Based on collaborative plan	Comprehensive care	Restored mobility, successful recovery

The Role of Assessment and Documentation

A thorough assessment is essential before implementing interventions to identify patient needs and guide care plan development. Detailed documentation of interventions is also crucial for continuity of care, communication among the healthcare team, and evaluating effectiveness.

Conclusion

Nursing interventions are the diverse and skillful actions nurses employ to provide holistic care, from independent tasks to collaborative procedures. These interventions are guided by the nursing process and aim to promote healing, ensure safety, and empower patients. Understanding the types and examples of nursing interventions highlights the vital role of nurses in patient health. Further details on formal classifications can be found in the Nursing Interventions Classification.

A Continuous Process

Nursing care is a dynamic process. Following the implementation of interventions, nurses evaluate the patient's response and adjust the care plan as needed to ensure ongoing effectiveness and relevance to the patient's changing condition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Independent interventions are actions a nurse initiates on their own clinical judgment, such as teaching a patient about their condition. Dependent interventions require a specific order from a physician, like administering a prescribed medication.

Nurses use interventions to proactively prevent issues. For example, regularly repositioning a bedridden patient is an intervention that prevents pressure ulcers, while educating a patient on safety measures can prevent falls.

Yes, interventions are customized to each patient's unique needs and condition. For a patient with diabetes, interventions would include education on glucose monitoring, whereas for a patient recovering from surgery, interventions might focus on pain management and mobility.

A collaborative, or interdependent, intervention requires the coordinated effort of multiple healthcare providers. For instance, a nurse might work with a dietitian to manage a patient's nutritional plan or with a physical therapist on a rehabilitation schedule.

The NIC provides a standardized system for classifying nursing interventions. This helps nurses to consistently document patient care, communicate effectively across healthcare settings, and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.

Yes, both are vital nursing interventions. Providing emotional support through active listening or reassurance helps a patient's psychological well-being. Patient education empowers patients with knowledge about their condition and care, which are crucial aspects of their recovery.

Assessment is the critical first step of the nursing process. A nurse must gather information about a patient's condition before determining which interventions are most appropriate. Interventions are directly informed by the findings of the initial assessment.