Does anyone think nursing diagnoses are just plain silly - overly literal and laughably complex? (please see examples at end of this post)
Are we trying so hard to legitimize nursing as a profession that we resort to such silly, "uniquely nursing" language? I think it was a waste of energy to have devoted so much time to developing this "uniquely nursing" language.
That energy could have been so much more constructively applied in, say, lobbying Congress to improve nursing working conditions and, say, public service announcements showing the public why nursing IS a profession & one that should be respected!
I mean, why can't we just use the same language as docs? We're all grown-ups with a pretty good grip on health sciences terminology - after all, we went to school in the subject! A pulmonary embolism is a pulmonary embolism. Constipation is constipation. I know the NDs give us "cues" as to what nurses can specifically & autonomously treat, but c'mon....
Do we really expect docs to read over such silly "diagnostic" language?
Some cases in point from my nursing textbook are provided below, with real-world translations. (Feel free to contribute others, either fictional or actual!)
Forgive me if I seem overly facetious or sarcastic. But these are nursing dx's really suggested by my textbook, and I found them not a little ridiculous:
NURSING DIAGNOSIS-ESE: "Impaired gas exchange related to interference with the diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the capillaries and cells secondary to excess fluid volume." (DUH!! That's how the lungs work!)
TRANSLATION: Patient has pulmonary edema.
NURSING DIAGNOSIS-ESE: "Constipation related to inadequate amount of fluid to provide volume for stool formation." (Ah! Didn't know constipation involved dry poos.)
TRANSLATION: Patient is dehydrated and constipated.
NURSING DIAGNOSIS-ESE: "Impaired gas exchange related to decreased volume of blood available to transport respiratory gases secondary to deficient fluid volume" (Yes! The blood DOES carry oxygen and CO2!)
TRANSLATION: Pulmonary problems related to hypovolemia.
NURSING DIAGNOSIS-ESE: "Fatigue related to altered cellular metabolism secondary to deficient fluid" (Yes! Cellular metabolism does affect the body!)
Daytonite - you didn't upset me, just ticked me a teeny bit.
You could look at students who don't want to give NANDA the time of day not as people disrespecting nursing, but as people respecting all the nurses they've met who never use NANDA and think it's silly - the great majority of them.
I'm sorry to hear of your illness and hope and pray for your recovery.
I hated nursing care plans when I was in school. I understand how the student needs to know what nursing measures to take, but all the specifice nursing diagnosis seemed a bit ridiculous to me. And, the teachers grading them were purely subjective.
I already know the basic fact that I need to ambulate my patient after they have a surgery I dont need bunch of papers to remind me of what I need to do for the best interest of my patients.
And there one sees the difference between medicine and nursing. They too know what is needed to provide care for their patients but there is no doubt that it should be written down. If you ever read physician's progress notes, after they write up their PE, they write a problem list along with a plan that lists the interventions they plan to take to address the problems, or if the problem has resolved they write that out next to it. But you think that nurses should not do the same?
If it's the nomenclature itself that you object to then fine, but please don't say it's silly for nurses to diagnose the problems they need to address and to write them down. Writing out a care plan is a great way to plan for the needs of your patients and hopefully make sure that they are addressed.
As far as politics goes....I prefer to do what I am trained to do which is taking care of sick....besides I would not want anyone to be out of a job....afterall they have to keep their finger nails tidy...I dare not make them do things that will spoil their beauty.....
Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
marie-francoise. . .as far as I'm concerned your argument has lost its bluster.
Attempts to educate are "talking down" to someone?
The definition of a diagnosis is the resulting decision or opinion after the process of examination or investigation of the facts. This is a dictionary definition. All kinds of professions diagnosis problems and it is part of their work. Diagnosing is not the sole proprietary right of doctors. Plumbers and car mechanics diagnose problems with pipes and cars. Synonyms for the word are examination, conclusions, findings. I would assume that those who have taken and attained a fairly academic level of the English language would understand this.
Why would a doctor necessarily know about nursing diagnoses? They learn about medical diagnoses in school. Nurses do not learn how do make medical diagnostic decisions. Doctors don't learn how to make nursing diagnostic decisions. We nurses, however, do learn how to make nursing diagnostic decisions. We both do learn about the medical and nursing treatments we each give.
While I do use the nursing process every day at work, and I do understand that it is a very important part of nursing, I'm glad I don't have to return to using silly nursing diagnoses and writing out care-plans as I had to in nursing school. Defend the nursing diagnoses all you want, but at the end of the day I'm still glad they're no longer a part of my daily life.
A clear case of 'Denial, secondary to lack of knowledge'! Or, would that be 'Lack of acceptance, secondary to denial'?:clown:
'Reluctance to accept teaching r/t lack of interest'?
I say thanks to "Day to Night" Sometimes it's hard to come up with the right diagnoses, but if I turn my betamax off, turn down Amy Carter's birthday party coverage and turn up "Rhinestone Cowboy" on my 8-track, it usually comes to me.
I say thanks to "Day to Night" Sometimes it's hard to come up with the right diagnoses, but if I turn my betamax off, turn down Amy Carter's birthday party coverage and turn up "Rhinestone Cowboy" on my 8-track, it usually comes to me.
And there one sees the difference between medicine and nursing. They too know what is needed to provide care for their patients but there is no doubt that it should be written down. If you ever read physician's progress notes, after they write up their PE, they write a problem list along with a plan that lists the interventions they plan to take to address the problems, or if the problem has resolved they write that out next to it. But you think that nurses should not do the same?
If it's the nomenclature itself that you object to then fine, but please don't say it's silly for nurses to diagnose the problems they need to address and to write them down. Writing out a care plan is a great way to plan for the needs of your patients and hopefully make sure that they are addressed.
That was unnecessary.
Everyone is entitled to their opinions and a little bit of sarcasm and sense of humor wont hurt anyone......
Sorry, I'm on the "I like care plans" bus. I was a MDS nurse for about 4 years, is probably why. Hated them in nursing school, but I went directly into LTC/MDS out of school, and it just clicked with me. We need to have a written plan, and follow it, even if most of it is just common sense. Some people don't have any of that, and need it written down, lol. Just bringing it all together helps, regardless of the language.
Pretty simple, pt has this problem, symptoms are this, and this is what we are doing to help. Doctors do this (or should) either in there PE, progress notes, etc. Why shouldn't we? We do a lot more than just what the MD orders, and it should be written somewhere that this is what we need to do. Just makes sense to me.
BTW, in nursing school, my instructors did tell me that the reason we couldn't site medical dx was b/c MDs didn't like.
Ok, so half of that was probably confusing, forgive me I'm tired, I'll fix it tomorrow. promise!
Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
O.k........a few of the comments have been a little too personal.
Let's debate the topic, "Does anyone think nursing diagnoses are just plain silly?".
Let's don't make the comments personal. Doesn't add anything constructive to the discussion and only serves to focus on the individual member(s), thus derailing the thread.
:clown:
....perhaps they should ban sarcasm from this website alltogether....this is all I have to say:
birdgardner
333 Posts
Daytonite - you didn't upset me, just ticked me a teeny bit.
You could look at students who don't want to give NANDA the time of day not as people disrespecting nursing, but as people respecting all the nurses they've met who never use NANDA and think it's silly - the great majority of them.
I'm sorry to hear of your illness and hope and pray for your recovery.