Newbie - - help with nursing problem statements

Zookeeper44, RN · Mar 16, 2010

Wouldn't that be the same as a Nursing Diagnosis? That is how we are learning to do it. We do a Concept Map which includes "priority issues" but in the care plan itself we give nursing diagnoses, straight from the Nursing Diagnosis Reference Manual which are NANDA-I diagnoses. So for a risk of pressure ulcers, I'd use Risk for Impaired Skin Integrity, for example.

melissa1216 · Mar 17, 2010

Well that's what I thought but in another section it had already asked the nursing diagnosis...so I am really confused.

smiles04 · Mar 17, 2010

Hello everyone! I am currently in my second semester of Nursing school and am struggling with my Critical Thinking (CT) paper. I have to select two risks for my patient. I chose: Falls and Pressure Ulcers.
My paper guideline states "Your priority risk should be written as a nursing problem statement."
I need an example of this. I have searched the internet and am unable to find it. Cana nyone give me an example? Any help is much appreciated :)

To Newbies, First if I was going to pick two risks I would pick two that go together. That way you have your main risk and then the sub risk. Falls are huge. A risk where it does not encompass the whole world might be better. Like risk for infection R/t open wound or Risk for nausea R/T nacotic pain medication those are very specific. The point of this paper is to make you think of every possible problem that could be related in the senerio. Most importantly how you will proritize your actions and patient care. Hope that helps. ABOVE all else, I can't stress this enough just go sit down with one of your profs and say hey I'm not sure here should I do this or this what is it you are looking for specifically. Find one that is not going to feed you to the wolves. Make friends with these instructors don't be afraid of them. They will challenge you and they WANT you to rise to the occassion so do!!Good luck. If this is not what your looking for maybe get more specific for us in your question. :):heartbeat

melissa1216 · Mar 17, 2010

I didn't even think of that! So maybe I should pick infection r/t catheter and pressure ulcers instead.....thanks for the thought!

But I still don't understand this "nursing problem statement"

I have a mentor that I am assigned to. I have emailed her once a week form February 2 until March 5th with no response. I have spoken to her in class and she says to make an appointment. I make an an appointment she is out sick. I have since emailed her every day since March 6th and still no response.

I went to another teacher and she said only my mentor can help me. Needless to say yesterday was the last day to talk to a mentor and she said "sorry didn't read your paper yet." so I am pretty much on my own. I intend to include every email I sent her upon turning in my paper so when she takes off points I can say "well I asked fo rhelp and you never responded." :)

TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP · Mar 17, 2010

Same here - nursing problem statements have always been nursing diagnoses for me, just that I didn't necessarily plan out care for all of the problems. One of my instructors had me rank actual problems first along the lines of ABCD, and then the risks in the same order (since they're not actual problems yet). Ineffective airway clearance trumps self-care deficit trumps risk for falls. Make sense?

RE your useless mentor: If you have an evaluation process for the mentoring program, make sure you note your mentor's complete unavailability and the various means you used to try to contact her and get her feedback. If you don't have an eval process, send a very nicely and politely worded email to the person who runs the mentoring program. This person is supposed to help you; if not, they shouldn't be involved.