Three Firsts That Helped Shape INKA

On a semi-regular basis, the blog will feature highlights from the NANDA® Archives at Boston College’s Burns Library. Visiting these documents allows us to reconnect with the scholars and practitioners whose work helped lay the foundations of the International Nursing Knowledge Association (INKA), formerly known as NANDA International (NANDA-I). As INKA continues to evolve, the Archives can help us root our language in its origins. 

This month, we celebrate three important “firsts” in the history of INKA: the first gathering of leaders committed to the continued development of nursing knowledge, the first conference supported by NANDA, and the opening of the Archives. 

1973: An Inaugural Gathering of Select Leaders 

In 1973, nursing scholars and leaders gathered in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, for a meeting that planted the seeds of what would become the International Nursing Knowledge Association (INKA). The meeting was invitation-only, and leading voices in the field convened to share their expertise. After the meeting, Gebbie and Lavin (1973) prepared More Reflections on Nursing Diagnosis, wherein they summarized thoughts from attendees “which have some bearing on the understanding of diagnosis, both as a noun and as a verb; as a generic term and in its specific application to nursing” (NANDA-I records, MS.1998.006, First National Conference, 1973, 2/3). Attendees shared their beliefs about what diagnosis is, what diagnosis is not, how nursing diagnosis may be validated, and how diagnosis is related to the nursing process. It is important to note that, in the early days of this work, leaders believed that diagnosis may be validated by “consensual agreement among nurses after an objective evaluation of the evidence for and against the diagnosis,” and “the objective confirmation of inferences of hypotheses regarding either the end result of the diagnoses or the expected effects of nursing interventions” (NANDA-I records, MS.1998.006, First National Conference, 1973, 2/3). As time passed and the organization that would become INKA emerged, the process for validating nursing diagnoses evolved.  

 1982: Establishing Organizational Identity and Expanding Community 

The Fifth National Conference for Classification of Nursing Diagnosis in 1982 celebrated the official creation of the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) and welcomed select new participants. Unlike the inaugural gathering in 1973, this conference was open to a broader audience. However, participation was limited to those who had attended a previous National Conference or nursing diagnosis conference on a Regionallevel, or those who were actively working to develop and implement nursing diagnosis. At this conference, there were keynote speakers who addressed “major issues related to nursing diagnosis and the development of a taxonomy,” as well as the “presentation of invited papers, and small group sessions to work on nursing diagnoses” (NANDA-I records, MS.1998.006, Fifth National Conference, 1998, 3/11). Notes from working sessions, committee meetings, and executive communications about the development of nursing diagnoses can be found in the NANDA Archives. 

2002: Committing to the Future by Preserving the Past  

In October 2002, the year NANDA officially became NANDA International (NANDA-I), Dr. Dorothy Jones led the creation of the NANDA® Archives at Boston College’s Burns Library. Dr. Jones and the archive librarians at the Burns Library collected and cataloged hundreds of artifacts, including documents, audiovisual recordings, and photos, reflecting NANDA’s first thirty years. Since 2002, Dr. Jones and her colleagues have continued to identifyand archive additional materials that reflect the evolution of the field and the organization. Most of the archived materials are available only on-site in physical form, a decision made in partnership with the professional archivists who preserve this collection. Any INKA member who wishes to schedule a visit to the Archives should contact the Assistant Director of the Marjory Gordon Program, Dr. Natalie Borg. Additionally, those interested in learning more about the archives can review the Burns Library website, which includes information about how the materials are organized. 

 About the Author  

Dr. Natalie Borg, PhD, is Assistant Director of the Marjory Gordon Program for Knowledge Development, Clinical Reasoning, and Standardized Nursing Language at the Boston College Connell School of Nursing, in a dual appointment with the International Nursing Knowledge Association (INKA). Her work includes stewardship of the NANDA® Archives, support for the Gordon Scholars community, and contributions to INKA education initiatives. She holds a PhD in Higher Education from Boston College.