Table 1.

Theoretical foundations for the NCPF (Nursing Care Performance Framework)

NCPF three functions	Donabedian’s SPO Triad	Parsons’ functions	Systems theory
Acquiring, deploying and maintaining nursing resources	Structure: refers to characteristics that affect the ability of the nursing system to meet healthcare needs	Adaptation: relates to a nursing system’s capacity to acquire and maintain the resources it needs, develop new resources or improve allocation of its resources	Ability of the nursing system, as an open system composed of interrelated subsystems, to acquire inputs from its environment, engage in transformation processes and generate output that brings about an added value for its environment
Transforming nursing resources into nursing services	Process: refers to the nature of activities done by nurses in providing care and the characteristics of the practice environment	Production: relates to the ability of the nursing system to coordinate the efforts of its constituencies and ensure smooth functioning of processes involved in providing nursing services
		Value maintenance: relates to creating and maintaining values and standards that guide choices in the design of nursing services
Producing changes in a patient’s condition as a result of providing nursing services	Outcome: refers to states of health or events that follow nursing care and are affected by nursing care	Goal attainment: relates to a nursing system’s capacity to fulfill its mission and bring about a valued state in the system’s relationships to its environments