What Is a Nursing Diagnosis?

Nursing diagnoses form a standardized language that allows registered nurses around the world to identify patient issues in a consistent manner.

Expert Insight

• NANDA International is the approval body that maintains the taxonomy of nursing diagnoses and continues to review new diagnoses submitted by registered nurses (RNs).

Types

• There are five types of NANDA nursing diagnoses: actual, risk, possible, syndrome, and wellness.

Functions

• “Actual” nursing diagnoses define problems that have already developed, while “risk” diagnoses highlight those the patient is at higher risk for in the future. “Possible” diagnoses are used to identify current issues that the nurse needs more information about before establishing a diagnosis. “Syndrome” diagnoses identify a group of nursing diagnoses commonly seen together, such as rape-trauma syndrome. “Wellness” diagnoses identify areas of particular health for a given patient.

Features

• According to A Texas Resource for Advocates of Nursing Education, most well-written nursing diagnoses have three parts: the NANDA diagnosis label, a “related to” factor, and an “as evidenced by” component. A sample diagnosis would read “confusion, acute, related to anesthesia, as evidenced by inability to identify person or place”.

Benefits

• According to NANDA, nursing diagnoses define the knowledge of professional nursing. They allow RNs to convey recommendations to colleagues to promote consistent, high-quality care.