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Health Sciences Degrees | AAS Programs: Nursing Diagnoses

Guide for students in the RN, LPN, and nurse aide programs..,

What are Nursing Diagnoses?

nursing diagnosis deals with human responses to actual or potential health problems.  A nursing diagnosis identifies the unique ways in which individuals respond to health crises. 

Whereas, a medical (sometimes called clinical) diagnosis identifies the patient’s disease/disorder/medical condition. 

For consistency, nurses all over the globe use special terminology, which is approved by NANDA International.  Example:

Medical Diagnosis                                    Nursing Diagnosis
Stroke (cerebrovascular attack) Impaired verbal communication; risk for falls; interrupted family processes 

Why use 'NANDA International Nursing Diagnoses'

Video: Nursing Diagnosis vs. Medical Diagnosis

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