Nursing Diagnosis - Can I write my own or need to take from book?

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My question is about the 'related to' in a nursing diagnosis. Can I write my own or do they usually have to be from a book?

For example:

Constipation r/t inadequate fluid intake (from the book)

Constipation r/t decreased fluid volume via excessive urination (my own) (diabetes mellitus)

I'm thinking you should be able to write your own because people make specified care plans with details....and some of these already written are so general...yet they can be universal for everyone when charting.

Please help! :) Thanks

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Specializes in Oncology.

I believe you can right your own r/t section as long as the first part is a NANDA one. I would phrase the second one as "constipation related to inadequate fluid volume secondary to hyperglycemia."

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My professor said you should really take them from the book. As far as the one you wrote, I think by making your own it makes it a little confusing because it leaves out information. The person is constipated related to urinating excessively secondary to diabetes. Generally those with uncontrolled diabetes are excessively thirsty in addition to urinating frequently and those with controlled diabetes wouldn't be urinating all the time. So why is this person urinating but not drinking more? Are they unable to for some reason, unwilling? The way my professor explained it to me, you want to be able to read the ND and understand what is going on with the patient and with yours, you can't do that. If you use what the book has an make it a 3 or 4 part statement it can explain what is going on with your patient.

Constipation r/t inadequate fluid intake s/t uncontrolled diabetes as evidenced by FBG of x amount

I am not a pro at these yet so I could be wrong. Good Luck!

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Specializes in CT ICU, OR, Orthopedic.

The Dx must be NANDA APPROVED... use Carpinto to be safe. That is in MOST schools, YOU CAN NOT make up your own LABEL...constipation is a NANDA approved Dx. You can make up your own r/t clause if there is not one that fits...

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Constipation is a MEDICAL DX. You can not use it. The Dx must be NANDA APPROVED... use Carpinto to be safe. YOU CAN NOT make up your own Dx!!!

Constipation can be used as a nursing diagnosis, it is in my carpinito book. There is Constipation, risk for constipation, and risk for constipation. An actual nursing diagnosis according to carpinito has to of been validated by the presence of major defining characteristics. A nursing diagnosis is a way to describe a client problem that the nurse can manage on his/her own. In many cases, that is true for constipation. The ND I wrote in the post above was directly from my nursing diagnosis handbook :D

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Specializes in CT ICU, OR, Orthopedic.

Yes, I tried to correct it, but you beat me to it sorry for the confusion

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Specializes in Dialysis, Long-term care, Med-Surg.

The NANDA list is online......Make sure you use the correct year based on what your school is using.....(some schools are still using the 2008 version!?????) Best wishes:specs:

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