Nursing diagnoses are a critical component of the nursing process, serving as the foundation for effective patient care plans. Developed and refined by NANDA International (NANDA-I), these standardized diagnoses provide a common language for nurses to identify patient problems, guide interventions, and evaluate outcomes. Understanding the complete list of NANDA nursing diagnoses is essential for nursing students and practicing nurses alike to deliver holistic and evidence-based care. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of NANDA-I diagnoses, categorized by domains, to help you navigate this crucial aspect of nursing practice.
NANDA-I Domains and Classes: A Comprehensive Overview
The NANDA-I taxonomy is organized into a hierarchical structure, starting with broad domains and narrowing down to more specific classes within each domain. This framework helps nurses categorize patient needs systematically. There are 13 domains in the NANDA-I taxonomy, representing the range of human experiences that nurses address. Within these domains are various classes that further specify the area of focus.
Understanding these domains and classes is the first step in utilizing the complete list of NANDA nursing diagnoses effectively. By assessing patients through the lens of these domains, nurses can ensure a comprehensive evaluation and identify the most appropriate diagnoses.
The Complete List of NANDA Nursing Diagnoses
Below is a detailed list of NANDA-I nursing diagnoses, organized by domain and class, providing a complete reference for your nursing practice and studies. This list is adapted from the sample diagnoses provided by Open RN, offering a starting point for understanding the breadth of NANDA-I.
Domain 1: Health Promotion
Class 1: Health Awareness
- Sedentary Lifestyle
Class 2: Health Management
- Frail Elderly Syndrome
- Ineffective Health Maintenance
Domain 2: Nutrition
Class 1: Ingestion
- Imbalanced Nutrition: Less Than Body Requirements
- Readiness for Enhanced Nutrition
- Impaired Swallowing
Class 2: Digestion
(No diagnoses listed in the original sample)
Class 3: Absorption
(No diagnoses listed in the original sample)
Class 4: Metabolism
- Risk for Unstable Blood Glucose Level
Class 5: Hydration
- Risk for Electrolyte Imbalance
- Deficient Fluid Volume
- Excess Fluid Volume
- Risk for Imbalanced Fluid Volume
Domain 3: Elimination and Exchange
Class 1: Urinary Function
- Impaired Urinary Elimination
- Functional Urinary Incontinence
- Overflow Urinary Incontinence
- Reflex Urinary Incontinence
- Stress Urinary Incontinence
- Urge Urinary Incontinence
- Urinary Retention
Class 2: Gastrointestinal Function
- Constipation
- Risk for Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Bowel Incontinence
Class 3: Respiratory Function
- Impaired Gas Exchange
Class 4: Integumentary Function
(No diagnoses listed in the original sample)
Class 5: Hepatic Function
(No diagnoses listed in the original sample)
Domain 4: Activity/Rest
Class 1: Sleep/Rest
- Insomnia
- Disturbed Sleep Pattern
Class 2: Activity/Exercise
- Risk for Disuse Syndrome
- Impaired Bed Mobility
- Impaired Physical Mobility
- Impaired Wheelchair Mobility
- Impaired Sitting
- Impaired Standing
- Impaired Transfer Ability
- Impaired Walking
Class 3: Energy Balance
- Fatigue
- Wandering
Class 4: Cardiovascular/Pulmonary Responses
- Activity Intolerance
- Ineffective Breathing Pattern
- Decreased Cardiac Output
- Ineffective Peripheral Tissue Perfusion
Class 5: Self-Care
- Bathing Self-Care Deficit
- Dressing Self-Care Deficit
- Feeding Self-Care Deficit
- Toileting Self-Care Deficit
Domain 5: Perception/Cognition
Class 1: Attention
- Unilateral Neglect
Class 2: Orientation
(No diagnoses listed in the original sample)
Class 3: Cognition
- Acute Confusion
- Chronic Confusion
- Deficient Knowledge
- Readiness for Enhanced Knowledge
- Impaired Memory
Class 4: Communication
- Readiness for Enhanced Communication
- Impaired Verbal Communication
Domain 6: Self-Perception
Class 1: Self-Concept
- Hopelessness
- Readiness for Enhanced Self-Concept
Class 2: Self-Esteem
- Chronic Low Self-Esteem
Class 3: Body Image
- Disturbed Body Image
Domain 7: Role Relationship
Class 1: Caregiving Roles
- Caregiver Role Strain
- Risk for Caregiver Role Strain
Class 2: Family Relationships
- Dysfunctional Family Processes
Class 3: Role Performance
- Impaired Social Interaction
Domain 8: Sexuality
Class 1: Sexual Function
- Sexual Dysfunction
Class 2: Reproduction
(No diagnoses listed in the original sample)
Domain 9: Coping/Stress Tolerance
Class 1: Post-Trauma Responses
- Risk for Relocation Stress Syndrome
Class 2: Coping Responses
- Anxiety
- Ineffective Coping
- Death Anxiety
- Fear
- Grieving
- Complicated Grieving
- Powerlessness
Class 3: Neurobehavioral Stress
- Risk for Autonomic Dysreflexia
Domain 10: Life Principles
Class 1: Values
(No diagnoses listed in the original sample)
Class 2: Beliefs
- Readiness for Enhanced Spiritual Well-Being
- Spiritual Distress
Class 3: Value/Belief/Action Congruence
- Decisional Conflict
Domain 11: Safety/Protection
Class 1: Infection
- Risk for Infection
Class 2: Physical Injury
- Ineffective Airway Clearance
- Risk for Aspiration
- Risk for Bleeding
- Risk for Falls
- Risk for Injury
- Impaired Dentition
- Risk for Pressure Ulcer
- Impaired Skin Integrity
- Impaired Tissue Integrity
Class 3: Violence
- Risk for Suicide
Class 4: Environmental Hazards
- Risk for Poisoning
Class 5: Defensive Processes
- Risk for Allergy Response
Class 6: Thermoregulation
- Hyperthermia
- Hypothermia
Domain 12: Comfort
Class 1: Physical Comfort
- Impaired Comfort
- Nausea
- Acute Pain
- Chronic Pain
Class 2: Environmental Comfort
(No diagnoses listed in the original sample)
Class 3: Social Comfort
- Risk for Loneliness
Domain 13: Growth/Development
Class 1: Growth
(No diagnoses listed in the original sample)
Class 2: Development
- Risk for Delayed Development
How to Use This List for Effective Nursing Care Planning
This complete list of NANDA nursing diagnoses is a valuable tool in your nursing practice. When developing a nursing care plan, remember to:
- Conduct a thorough patient assessment: Utilize frameworks like Gordon’s Functional Health Patterns to gather comprehensive data across all domains.
- Analyze assessment data: Group related cues and identify patterns to pinpoint potential nursing diagnoses.
- Select appropriate NANDA-I diagnoses: Refer to this list to choose diagnoses that accurately reflect the patient’s problems and needs.
- Individualize care plans: Remember that this list provides a standardized language, but care plans must be tailored to each patient’s unique circumstances.
- Regularly evaluate and revise: Nursing diagnoses are not static. Continuously assess patient progress and adjust diagnoses and care plans as needed.
By mastering the complete list of NANDA nursing diagnoses and integrating them effectively into your practice, you can enhance patient outcomes and contribute to the advancement of nursing care. This guide is designed to be your go-to resource for navigating the world of nursing diagnoses and ensuring you are equipped to provide the best possible care.