A nursing diagnosis is a standardized statement about the health of a client (who can be an individual, a family, or a community) for the purpose of providing nursing care. Nursing diagnoses are developed based on data obtained during the nursing assessment. Nursing assessment is the gathering of information about a patients physiological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual status. ...

The main organization for defining standard diagnoses in North America is the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association, now known as NANDA-International. Other international associations are AENTDE (Spanish), AFEDI (French language) and ACENDIO (Europe). World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Nanda Dynasty, ruled Eastern India in the 5th and 4th centuries BCE Nanda (mythology), in Hinduism, a peasant and foster-father of Krishna Nanda (Buddhism), half-brother of the Buddha NANDA, North American Nursing Diagnosis Association Nanjing University, colloquially called Nanda (pinyin Nándà, Chinese characters 南大) Nanda (indigenous Australians), a...

Nursing diagnoses are part of a movement in nursing to standardize the terminology involved. This includes standard descriptions of diagnoses, interventions and outcomes. Nurses who support of standardized terminology believe that it will help nursing become more scientific and evidence-based. Other nurses feel that nursing diagnoses are an ivory tower mentality and neither help in care planning nor in differentiating nursing from medicine. Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is an attempt to more uniformly apply the standards of evidence gained from the scientific method, to certain aspects of medical practice. ... The term Ivory Tower designates a world or atmosphere where intellectuals engage in pursuits that are disconnected from the practical concerns of everyday life. ... Nursing is a profession focused on assisting individuals, families, and communities in attaining, re-attaining, and maintaining optimal health and functioning. ... medicines, see medication and pharmacology. ...

Structure of diagnoses

The NANDA-International system of nursing diagnosis provides for five categories.

1. Actual diagnosis - a statement about a health problem that the client has and the benefit from nursing care. An example of an actual nursing diagnosis is: Ineffective airway clearance related to decreased energy as manifested by an ineffective cough.
2. Risk diagnosis - a statement about health problems that a client doesn't have yet, but is at a higher than normal risk of developing in the near future. An example of a risk diagnosis is: Risk for injury related to altered mobility and disorientation.
3. Possible diagnosis - a statement about a health problem that the client might have now, but the nurse doesn't yet have enough information to make an actual diagnosis. An example of a possible diagnosis is: Possible fluid volume deficit related to frequent vomiting for three days as manifested by increased pulse rate.
4. Syndrome diagnosis - used when a cluster of nursing diagnoses are seen together. An example of a syndrome diagnosis is: Rape-trauma syndrome related to anxiety about potential health problems as manifested by anger, genitourinary discomfort, and sleep pattern disturbance.
5. Wellness diagnosis - describes an aspect of the client that is at a high level of wellness. An example of a wellness diagnosis is: Potential for enhanced organized infant behaviour, related to prematurity and as manifested by response to visual and auditory stimuli.

See also

• Nursing
• List of nursing diagnoses
• Nursing care plan
• Nursing outcomes classification

Nursing is a profession focused on assisting individuals, families, and communities in attaining, re-attaining, and maintaining optimal health and functioning. ... List of nursing diagnoses by functional health pattern // Effective therapeutic regimen management Risk for infection Risk for injury Risk for latex allergy response Risk for poisoning Risk for suffocation Risk for trauma Risk for altered growth Risk for altered development Energy field disturbance Health-seeking behaviors (specify) Ineffective community therapeutic... A nursing care plan outlines the nursing care to be provided to a patient. ...

References

• K. N. Anderson (Ed.): Appendix 19: Nursing Diagnoses. In: Mosby's Medical, Nursing, & Allied Health Dictionary. 5th ed. Mosby, St. Louis, MO, 1998, pp. 1975-2035, ISBN 0-8151-4800-3
• A. G. Perry, P. A. Potter: Canadian Fundamentals of Nursing. 2nd ed. Mosby, Toronto, ON, 2001, ISBN 0-920513-40-9

External links

• Internet discussion on nursing diagnosis
• Article on nursing diagnosis by Roberta Christensen, RN