Question about Nursing Diagnosis

Nursing Students General Students

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I'm confused as to why dyspnea is considered a medical diagnosis that the nurse cannot make, but hyperthermia can be a nursing diagnosis....

Can anyone explain this to me? No, it's not a homework question!

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I'm going to guess that it's objective vs. subjective (or sign vs. symptom).

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ItsThatJenGirl said:
I'm going to guess that it's objective vs. subjective (or sign vs. symptom).

Yeah - maybe you're right. I know that as nurses, we cannot give a "medical diagnoses", and our focus is on the human response to disease, illness, or injury etc...but to me, both of those are human response to a medical issue, are they not?? Hence my confusion...LOL!

Side note - we have our first big exam tomorrow...I think you and I are at the same stage of school, but it seems that you got going on your clinicals almost immediately!

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It also doesnt really answer what is going on if you think about it. Why are they short of breath? Do they have fluid accumulation in the lungs? Impaired gas exchange. Are they having anxiety? Acute anxiety. Is their heart not pumping blood efficiently, therefore their tissues are not getting oxygen? Impaired cardiac output.

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Specializes in Cardiac ICU.

I have to wonder if it doesn't have something to do with how they are managed.

In my limited experience, it seems to me that hyperthermia (depending on stage and severity) can likely be managed independently, entirely within the RN scope of practice. Dyspnea can have a plethora of underlying conditions that may be causing it (COPD, anxiety disorder, panic attack, metabolic disorders, cardio-respiratory issues, neurologic malfunction, etc) that require medical intervention to treat...

Just a thought...

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Apple-Core said:
Yeah - maybe you're right. I know that as nurses, we cannot give a "medical diagnoses", and our focus is on the human response to disease, illness, or injury etc...but to me, both of those are human response to a medical issue, are they not?? Hence my confusion...LOL!

Side note - we have our first big exam tomorrow...I think you and I are at the same stage of school, but it seems that you got going on your clinicals almost immediately!

We start our clinicals in our 4th week of the program!

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PeeWeeQ said:
I have to wonder if it doesn't have something to do with how they are managed.

In my limited experience, it seems to me that hyperthermia (depending on stage and severity) can likely be managed independently, entirely within the RN scope of practice. Dyspnea can have a plethora of underlying conditions that may be causing it (COPD, anxiety disorder, panic attack, metabolic disorders, cardio-respiratory issues, neurologic malfunction, etc) that require medical intervention to treat...

Just a thought...

Great thinking! I'm going to ask my Professor today and will post later tonight!

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futuremurse93 said:
It also doesnt really answer what is going on if you think about it. Why are they short of breath? Do they have fluid accumulation in the lungs? Impaired gas exchange. Are they having anxiety? Acute anxiety. Is their heart not pumping blood efficiently, therefore their tissues are not getting oxygen? Impaired cardiac output.

I agree - and I think you are on to something....I'm asking at school today!

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