Ch. 17 Nursing Diagnosis OBJECTIVES

Question 1

2. Differentiate among the nursing diagnosis, medical diagnosis, and collaborative problem.

Answer 1

1. Medical diagnosis – (physicians) the identification of a disease condition based on a specific a valuation of physical signs, symptoms, the patient’s medical history and the results of diagnostic tests and procedures
2. Nursing diagnosis – a clinical judgment about individual, family, or community responses to actual/potential health problems or life processes that the nurse is licensed and competent to treat
3. Collaborative problem – an actual or potential physiological complication that nurses monitor to detect the onset of changes in the patient’s status.
   - intervention in collaboration with personnel from other healthcare disciplines

Question 2

3. Discuss the relationship of critical thinking to the nursing diagnostic process.

Answer 2

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The application of critical thinking attitudes and standards helps you to be thorough, comprehensive, and accurate when identifying nursing diagnoses that apply to your patients.

Question 3

4. Describe the steps of the nursing diagnostic process.

Answer 3

1. Interpret and analyze meaning of data
2. Data clustering:
   a) Group signs and symptoms
   b) classify and organize
3. Look for defining characteristics and related factors
4. Identify patient needs
5. Formulate nursing diagnoses and collaborative problems

p.224 fig. 17-2

Question 4

5. Explain how defining characteristics and the etiological process individualize a nursing diagnosis.

Answer 4

See fig. 17-4 p229
P 226
1. Defining characteristics are clinical criteria that are observable and verifiable.

P 229
2. Etiological process is the study of all factors that may be involved in the development of a disease

Therefore, the diagnosis becomes a two-part format (tbl. 17-1)

Question 5

6. Describe sources of diagnostic errors.

Answer 5

P.232 box 17-4
1. Collecting 
    - lack of knowledge/skill
    - inaccurate data
    - missing data
    - disorganization
2. Clustering
    - insufficient cluster of cues
    - premature or early closure
    - incorrect clustering
3. Interpreting
    - inaccurate interpretation of cues
    - failure to consider conflicting cues
    - using an insufficient # of cues
    - using unreliable or invalid cues
    - failure to consider cultural 
       influences/developmental stage
4. Labeling
    - wrong diagnostic label selected
    - evidence that another diagnosis is 
      more likely
    - condition a collaborative problem
    - failure to validate nursing diagnosis
      with patient
    - failure to seek guidance

Question 6

7. Identify nursing diagnosis from a nursing assessment.

Answer 6

P. 234

Question 7

1. Discuss the purposes of using nursing diagnosis in practice.

Answer 7

It classifies health problems within the domain of nursing.

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