nursing diagnosis

[Mizzyfrufru]

in laymans terms, what is a nursing diagnosis? In reference to the nursing process? I'm having difficulty with this info....thanks.

[purplemania, BSN, RN]

Care plans

http://www.rncentral.com

http://www.careplans.com

http://www.nursing.about.com/health/msubplans.htm

These might help you some. One important tip: do not confuse medical and nursing diagnoses. If the patient has a medical dx of pneumonia, the nursing dx might be ineffective gas exchange. The nurse diagnoses only regarding what the nurse is able to intervene. Since we cannot (in most cases) order chest x-rays and medication, we do not dx pneumonia. But we are able to do pulmonary toilet, raise head of bed, and follow MD orders or protocols regarding breathing tx, etc. to assist the patient in gas exchange.

[enfermeraSG]

Other posters have put it very well into layman's terms. I am a nursing student (1st sem) and have been doing 1-2 careplans weekly. At first this was very difficult, but you WILL eventually start to get it. It begins to become more logical and make sense. If you are heading to nursing school, or are already in and just not exposed to nursing dx yet - don't let it intimidate you. The medical dx puts a name to the disease, condition etc. The nursing dx approaches that disease or condition (ie. cancer, COPD, hypothyroidism) with the big picture of what the nurse can do and will be thinking about to help that patient. A patient was just diagnosed with nephrolithiasis (kidney stones). Now logic will tell you as a nurse that this person will be dealing with (in layman's terms) pain, fear, etc. If you are not in school yet, don't worry about it! Hope that helps! SG

[enfermeraSG]

Other posters have put it very well into layman's terms. I am a nursing student (1st sem) and have been doing 1-2 careplans weekly. At first this was very difficult, but you WILL eventually start to get it. It begins to become more logical and make sense. If you are heading to nursing school, or are already in and just not exposed to nursing dx yet - don't let it intimidate you. The medical dx puts a name to the disease, condition etc. The nursing dx approaches that disease or condition (ie. cancer, COPD, hypothyroidism) with the big picture of what the nurse can do and will be thinking about to help that patient. A patient was just diagnosed with nephrolithiasis (kidney stones). Now logic will tell you as a nurse that this person will be dealing with (in layman's terms) pain, fear, etc. If you are not in school yet, don't worry about it! Hope that helps! SG

[ceecel.dee, MSN, RN]

Medicine and medical diagnosis deals with the disease/condition/illness/signs and symptoms caused by them.

Nursing and nursing diagnosis deals with the human response to the above and how we support and/or improve their quality of living with the the above medical diagnoses.

[ceecel.dee, MSN, RN]

Medicine and medical diagnosis deals with the disease/condition/illness/signs and symptoms caused by them.

Nursing and nursing diagnosis deals with the human response to the above and how we support and/or improve their quality of living with the the above medical diagnoses.

[alanpe]

I'm not sure what you're getting at with this. Examples of medical diagnosis would be: cancer, COPD, pneumonia, CHF, etc. Nursing diagnosis describes whatever associated problems the patient has that the nurse will assist them to either learn to live with, or to solve. Examples of nursing diagnosis would be: Alteration in breathing patterns (SOB), Alteration in comfort (pain), Inability to cope with the changes that the disease brings on, Altered tissue perfusion, etc. The nursing diagnosis is the problem(s) that the disease process causes. The medical diagnosis is the disease itself. Technology is just that- machines/devices that assist with either diagnosing the disease (xray machines, lab machines, MRI, CT, etc) or that assist the nurse to provide care (IV pumps, PCA pumps, computers, vital sign monitors, etc). Both disciplines use technology in their practice. I don't know how much simpler I can make it for you. Are you a nurse or a nursing student? Or just someone who's curious?

.

I am RG too; I have my own ideas about this topic; a lot of diagnosis come from other disciplines, eg depression is today considered as deficit of some components (Chemical diagnosis), this diagnosis is accepted for and by many professionals; the differences are in the therapies:

Phisicians prescribe drugs, though they did not make drugs.

Nurses provide terapies to asssociated problems.

In a future there will be just a diagnoses for all and we will work very close.