NIC
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Network interface card |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Technology & Computing, Medical, Business & Finance |
NIC has three meanings. The most common are Network interface card (computer hardware) and Nursing Interventions Classification (nursing); it can also stand for National Insurance contributions.
Meanings of NIC at a glance
| # | NIC stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Network interface card | Technology & Computing › Computer Hardware |
| 2 | Nursing Interventions Classification | Medical › Nursing |
| 3 | National Insurance contributions | Business & Finance › Tax |
1. Network interface card
Technology & Computing · Computer Hardware Abbreviations
Hardware that connects a computer to a network, either as a plug-in card or, more commonly, a controller built into the motherboard. Each has a unique MAC address, and wired versions run at 1, 2.5, 10 Gbit/s or more.
Example: The server has a dual-port 10 GbE NIC for storage traffic and another for users.
Also expanded as network interface controller, since few are separate cards today. Mid-range desktop motherboards moved from 1 Gbit/s to 2.5 Gbit/s Ethernet around 2019 to 2021. Wireless NICs handle Wi-Fi, often on a small M.2 card that can be upgraded. Server NICs offload work such as checksums and encryption from the CPU, and "SmartNICs" add their own processors.
2. Nursing Interventions Classification
Medical · Nursing Abbreviations
Standardized list of treatments nurses perform, each with a label, definition and activities, such as "Fall Prevention" or "Pain Management". It gives care plans and electronic records a shared vocabulary for nursing work.
Example: NIC: Pressure Management, reposition q2h and use low-air-loss mattress.
Developed by a research team at the University of Iowa College of Nursing and first published in 1992. It is updated in new editions and paired with NOC outcomes and NANDA-I diagnoses. Coded interventions allow researchers to study nursing workload and outcomes using electronic data.
3. National Insurance contributions
Business & Finance · Tax Abbreviations
Payments made under the UK National Insurance system: Class 1 contributions are deducted from employees' pay and charged to employers on salaries, while the self-employed pay Class 4 on profits. Employees pay 8% on earnings in the main band, and employers pay 15% above a threshold.
Example: Salary sacrifice cuts both income tax and NICs on the amount I put into my pension.
The main employee rate fell from 12% to 10% in January 2024 and to 8% in April 2024, while the employer rate rose from 13.8% to 15% in April 2025. Voluntary Class 3 contributions can fill gaps in a person's State Pension record. Employee contributions stop at State Pension age.
Related abbreviations
More computer hardware abbreviations
- MTBF – Mean time between failures
- NAND – NOT-AND (NAND flash memory)
- NAS – Network-attached storage
- NGFF – Next Generation Form Factor
- NPU – Neural processing unit
- NUC – Next Unit of Computing
- NVMe – Non-Volatile Memory Express
- NVRAM – Non-volatile random-access memory
See all 151 computer hardware abbreviations →
More nursing abbreviations
- NCP – Nursing care plan
- NCS – No concentrated sweets
- NDx – Nursing diagnosis
- NGT – Nasogastric tube
- NKA – No known allergies
- NKDA – No known drug allergies
- NKFA – No known food allergies
- NOC – Nursing Outcomes Classification
See all 90 nursing abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.