Which statement best defines a nursing diagnosis?

Which statement best defines a nursing diagnosis?

• A. Identification of a disease condition based on signs and symptoms
• B. Clinical judgment by an RN about a patient health problem
• C. A medical diagnosis
• D. A plan of care

Answer: (B)

A nursing diagnosis is a clinical judgment by a registered nurse about a patient’s actual or potential health problem that the nurse can address with independent nursing interventions. This focuses on the patient’s human responses to health conditions, not on naming a disease. It differs from a medical diagnosis, which identifies a disease or medical condition, and from the plan of care, which outlines goals and specific nursing actions built on the diagnosis. For example, a statement like “acute pain related to surgical incision” represents a nursing diagnosis, guiding which nursing interventions to implement, while a medical diagnosis would be something like “appendicitis.”

A nursing diagnosis is a clinical judgment by a registered nurse about a patient’s actual or potential health problem that the nurse can address with independent nursing interventions. This focuses on the patient’s human responses to health conditions, not on naming a disease. It differs from a medical diagnosis, which identifies a disease or medical condition, and from the plan of care, which outlines goals and specific nursing actions built on the diagnosis. For example, a statement like “acute pain related to surgical incision” represents a nursing diagnosis, guiding which nursing interventions to implement, while a medical diagnosis would be something like “appendicitis.”