HELP! Short term and long term goal writing

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Dec 5, 2006

I can see what your problems are. First of all, there is no NANDA nursing diagnosis of Moderate Anxiety. If the patient has a fear of the threat of death, the appropriate nursing diagnosis to use would be Death Anxiety R/T threat of death. Here are some of the defining characteristics (those would be the M/B items in your diagnostic statement) that NANDA lists for this particular nursing diagnosis of Death Anxiety: worrying about the impact of one's own death on significant others, powerless over issues related to dying, fear of loss of physical and/or mental abilities when dying, anticipated pain related to dying, deep sadness, fear of the process of dying, concerns of overworking the caregiver as terminal illness incapacitates self, concern about meeting one's creator or feeling doubtful about the existence of a God or Higher Being, total loss of control over any aspect of one's own death, negative death images or unpleasant thoughts about any event related to death or dying, fear of delayed demise, fear of premature death because it prevents the accomplishment of important life goals, worrying about being, the cause of other's grief and suffering, fear of leaving family alone after death, fear of developing a terminal illness, denial of one's own mortality or impending death. (page 14 of Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions & Classification 2005-2006 published by NANDA International)

Your long term and short term goals should reflect the nursing interventions you have chosen for the patient. Goals should also be time specific. Some examples I can give you would be:

By ______ the patient will be able to list (one, two, three, or another number) of concerns they have about the impact of their death upon others.

By ______ the patient will be able to express (one, two, three, or another number) of feelings they have about their fear of death.

By _____ the patient will have an appointment with a psychologist to discuss and deal with their feelings.

By _____ the patient will discuss three realistic goals they have decided are important to address within the next (list period of time).

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Dec 5, 2006

thank you Day for your time and help. I did it and passed it in and the instructor said it was fine. THANK GOODNES! I do not want to fail clincal especially since we only have one more semester.

swtooth

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Dec 5, 2006

I could be anxious. Does that mean I am afraid of dying? As evidenced by what? Don't you have to use official NANDA taxonomies?

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Dec 6, 2006

swtooth. . .that's great to hear! i hope you also saw my other post on the nursing student discussion forum to your other thread.

hellllllo nurse. . .the patient's threat of death would be evidenced by (or "manifested by", as this student uses) subjective statements or observed behavior of the patient which would come from their assessment data. the student had the "related to" and "manifested by" items switched in the diagnostic statement. this is a very common taxonomy error that students make as they struggle with putting these nursing diagnostic statements together. it has to do with gaining a basic understanding of what each element of these diagnostic statements represents and experience with putting them together.

p

(problem)

related to

e

(etiology, or cause)

as evidenced (manifested) by

s

(symptom)

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Apr 1, 2011

I can see what your problems are. First of all, there is no NANDA nursing diagnosis of Moderate Anxiety. If the patient has a fear of the threat of death, the appropriate nursing diagnosis to use would be Death Anxiety R/T threat of death. Here are some of the defining characteristics (those would be the M/B items in your diagnostic statement) that NANDA lists for this particular nursing diagnosis of Death Anxiety: worrying about the impact of one's own death on significant others, powerless over issues related to dying, fear of loss of physical and/or mental abilities when dying, anticipated pain related to dying, deep sadness, fear of the process of dying, concerns of overworking the caregiver as terminal illness incapacitates self, concern about meeting one's creator or feeling doubtful about the existence of a God or Higher Being, total loss of control over any aspect of one's own death, negative death images or unpleasant thoughts about any event related to death or dying, fear of delayed demise, fear of premature death because it prevents the accomplishment of important life goals, worrying about being, the cause of other's grief and suffering, fear of leaving family alone after death, fear of developing a terminal illness, denial of one's own mortality or impending death. (page 14 of Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions & Classification 2005-2006 published by NANDA International)
Your long term and short term goals should reflect the nursing interventions you have chosen for the patient. Goals should also be time specific. Some examples I can give you would be:
By ______ the patient will be able to list (one, two, three, or another number) of concerns they have about the impact of their death upon others.
By ______ the patient will be able to express (one, two, three, or another number) of feelings they have about their fear of death.
By _____ the patient will have an appointment with a psychologist to discuss and deal with their feelings.
By _____ the patient will discuss three realistic goals they have decided are important to address within the next (list period of time).

Thanks Daytonite for helping me get through those torturous care plans! Rest in peace!

Happy