by VickyRN Staff

Probably no other nursing diagnosis has garnered as much controversy as this one:

Disturbed Energy Field

Definition: Disruption of the flow of energy [aura] surrounding a person’s being that
results in a disharmony of the body, mind, and/or spirit

RELATED FACTORS

Slowing or blocking of energy flows secondary to:

Pathophysologic factors—Illness (specify), pregnancy, injury

Treatment-related factors—Immobility, labor and delivery, perioperative experience,
chemotherapy

Situational factors (personal environment)—Pain, fear, anxiety, grieving

Maturational factors—Age-related developmental difficulties or crisis (specify)

DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS
objective

Perception of changes in patterns flow, such as—
Movement (wave/spike/tingling/dense/flowing)
Sounds (tone/words)
Temperature change (warmth/coolness)
Visual changes (image/color)
Disruption of the field
(deficient/hole/spike/bulge/obstruction/congestion/diminished flow in energy
field)

DESIRED OUTCOMES/EVALUATION CRITERIA—CLIENT WILL:

• Acknowledge feelings of anxiety and distress.
• Verbalize sense of relaxation/well-being.
• Display reduction in severity/frequency of symptoms.

http://www.fadavis.com/resources/New...2006_NANDA.pdf

Energy field disturbance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Scathing criticism of this nursing diagnosis is not difficult to find; this is just one example:

NANDA and Energy Field Disturbance

What is your opinion of "Disturbed Energy Field?" Does NANDA need to drop this, as not being scientifically sound, or do we need to keep this, as this attests to the inclusiveness and holistic nature of nursing?

Re: Disturbed Energy Field? Yes or No?

Strictly my opinion here but as an advanced practice nurse, NANDA is garbage and not worth the paper its printed on. This "disturbed energy field" is the height of frivolty and trivializes the entire nursing profession. What's next?

I have heard the arguments that NANDA has a purpose but since its based on nursing process versus medical care, it is not at all current. Nursing students would be better served learning care paths versus nursing care plans. These young nurses need to know the whys and what-fors for the care they are providing as well as knowing what to look for in a specific disease process. Critical thinking is the watch word but its truly just good old fashioned horse sense. If you have a patient that becomes dizzy and light-headed sitting on the bedside and you have orders to ambulate them, you put them back to bed and call the MD to find out what other measures need to be done which might include just sitting them at the bedside for a few minutes, sitting in a chair, etc..

Re: Disturbed Energy Field? Yes or No?

Does that mean I can't glow while charting?? Awwww and I was looking forward to it.


Ooooooooooh I'm glowing even as we speak.

And yes I too believe this is a bogus dx, but then they didn't as me did they?

Re: Disturbed Energy Field? Yes or No?

Tee hee hee...and the truly sad part is that is how this will be perceived by other members of the healthcare team also.

Re: Disturbed Energy Field? Yes or No?

I forgot about this nursing dx. I think I may start doing it for all my patients when I fill out care plans to see if joint commission actually reads what they check.

Re: Disturbed Energy Field? Yes or No?

Hard to believe that people put effort into writing so much , hmmmmmmmm, what is the word, hmmmmmmmm, hooey!

Re: Disturbed Energy Field? Yes or No?

Some of my noncompliant dialysis patients glow too because they are so uremic.

Re: Disturbed Energy Field? Yes or No?

Originally Posted by traumaRUs

Some of my noncompliant dialysis patients glow too because they are so uremic.

Re: Disturbed Energy Field? Yes or No?

Definition: Disruption of the flow of energy [aura] surrounding a person’s being that
results in a disharmony of the body, mind, and/or spirit

Man, by that definition, disturbed energy field could apply to anyone.

Re: Disturbed Energy Field? Yes or No?

That's why I figured I could put the same one on every patient and see how long it takes the educator to notice. It's really no more effort than the pain one almost everyone gets. Nobody likes doing them, so I figured I might as well get a little chuckle for my efforts.