The Northwick Park Dependency Score (NPDS)

 

Subscores:

(1) basic care needs

(2) special nursing needs

 

Parameters for basic care needs:

(1) mobility

(2) bed transfers

(3) toileting - urinary bladder

(4) urinary incontinence

(5) toileting - bowels

(6) fecal incontinence

(7) washing and grooming

(8) bathing and/or showering

(9) dressing

(10) eating

(11) drinking

(12) enteral feeding

(13) skin pressure relief

(14) safety awarenesss

(15) communication

(16) behavior

 

Graded 0 to 3 (4 or 5 levels):

(2) bed transfers

(4) urinary incontinence

(10) eating

(11) drinking

(14) safety awarenesss

 

Graded 0 to 4 (5 or 6 levels)

(1) mobility

(3) toileting - urinary bladder

(12) enteral feeding

 

Graded 0 to 5 (6 levels)

(5) toileting - bowels

(6) fecal incontinence

(7) washing and grooming

(8) bathing and/or showering

(9) dressing

(13) skin pressure relief

(15) communication

(16) behavior

 

Parameters for special nursing care:

(1) tracheostomy

(2) open wound

(3) interventions required at night

(4) psychological support

(5) isolation required for infection control

(6) acute medical or surgical interventions

(7) one-to-one specialized nursing

Special Nursing Care Needs	Finding	Points
tracheostomy	absent	0
	present	5
open wound that requires dressing	absent	0
	present	5
interventions required at night	0 to 2 per night	0
	> 2 per night	5
psychological support	not required	0
	required	5
isolation for infection control	not required	0
	required	5
acute medical or surgical intervention	not required	0
	required	5
one-to-one special nursing care	not required	0
	required	5

 

where:

• I would think that specialized one-on-one nursing requires more resources than some of the other special need items.

 

subscore for basic care needs =

= SUM(points for all 16 basic care needs)

 

subscore for special nursing needs =

= SUM(points for the 7 special needs)

 

total score =

= (subscore for basic care needs) + (points for special nursing needs)

 

Interpretation:

• minimum subscore for basic care needs: 0

• maximum subscore for basic care needs: 65

• minimum subscore for special care needs: 0

• maximum subscore for special care needs: 35

• minimum total score: 0

• maximum total score: 100

• The higher the score, the more greater the dependency and need for nursing care.

 

Performance:

• The score was found to be simple yet reliable and valid.