[The Belgian Nursing Minimum Data Set II (B-NMDS II) and its transfer to German hospitals: results of the first investigation phase, the translation and adaption process of the instrument].

The introduction of the DRG system in Germany showed again that there is a maintaining need in hospitals for a valid and reliable instrument that provides comparable data for necessary nursing care, costs, personnel requirements, and the quality of nursing care. The instrument should be suitable as well for nursing practice as for national health reports. It should provide founded statements for the different participants in the health system. The NMDS seems to be an instrument that could provide these complex data. Since 2006, a research project has been carried out to investigate the transfer of the Belgian B-NMDS II to German hospitals. The project is divided into two phases. The first phase comprises the translation and adaptation process of the B-NMDS II. In the second phase the data collection in the hospitals and the data analysis will be performed. In this article the methodical procedure of the first investigation phase is specified. The translation and adaptation process of the B-NMDS II is executed in a multi-level procedure.