nursing process question- Etiology

[cherubhipster]

I just want to make sure I understand etiology correctly-

In Diagnoses, etiology is basically the objective assesment information?

[nightmare, RN]

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3334

[cherubhipster]

So..it is the cause of the chosen diagnosis?

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

yes, etiology is the underlying cause. a diagnostic nursing statement has the following construction:

p (problem) - e (etiology) - s (symptoms)

with the physiological diagnoses (ex: excess fluid volume) the etiologies are often rooted in the pathophysiology of the medical diagnoses. the assessment information becomes important because they are clues confirming the medical diagnosis. a symptom is also a manifestation of a pathophysiological event as well as an assessment clue.