Nursing diagnoses are a critical component of patient care, providing a standardized language for nurses to identify patient problems and plan effective interventions. The NANDA-I (North American Nursing Diagnosis Association International) classification system is the globally recognized standard for nursing diagnoses. This guide provides a current NANDA list of nursing diagnoses, categorized by domain, to assist nursing students and professionals in their practice. Understanding and utilizing these diagnoses is fundamental to delivering patient-centered and evidence-based care.
The following table presents a sample of commonly used NANDA-I nursing diagnoses, organized by domain and class. This categorization, often aligned with frameworks like Gordon’s Functional Health Patterns, helps nurses to logically cluster assessment data and select the most appropriate diagnoses. For in-depth information and comprehensive care planning resources, nurses should consult specialized nursing care planning materials and the official NANDA-I publications.
| Domain | Class & Nursing Diagnosis |
|---|---|
| Health Promotion | Health Awareness – Sedentary lifestyle Health Management – Frail elderly syndrome – Ineffective health maintenance |
| Nutrition | Ingestion – Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements – Readiness for enhanced nutrition – Impaired swallowing Metabolism – Risk for unstable blood glucose level Hydration – Risk for electrolyte imbalance – Deficient fluid volume – Excess fluid volume – Risk for imbalanced fluid volume |
| Elimination and Exchange | Urinary function – Impaired urinary elimination – Functional urinary incontinence – Overflow urinary incontinence – Reflex urinary incontinence – Stress urinary incontinence – Urge urinary incontinence – Urinary retention Gastrointestinal function – Constipation – Risk for constipation – Diarrhea – Bowel incontinence Respiratory function – Impaired gas exchange |
| Activity/Rest | Sleep/Rest – Insomnia – Disturbed sleep pattern Activity/Rest – Risk for disuse syndrome – Impaired bed mobility – Impaired physical mobility – Impaired wheelchair mobility – Impaired sitting – Impaired standing – Impaired transfer ability – Impaired walking Energy balance – Fatigue – Wandering Cardiovascular/Pulmonary responses – Activity intolerance – Ineffective breathing pattern – Decreased cardiac output – Ineffective peripheral tissue perfusion Self-care – Bathing self-care deficit – Dressing self-care deficit – Feeding self-care deficit – Toileting self-care deficit |
| Perception/Cognition | Attention – Unilateral neglect Cognition – Acute confusion – Chronic confusion – Deficient knowledge – Readiness for enhanced knowledge – Impaired memory Communication – Readiness for enhanced communication – Impaired verbal communication |
| Self-Perception | Self-concept – Hopelessness – Readiness for enhanced self-concept Self-esteemd – Chronic low self-esteem Body image – Disturbed body image |
| Role Relationship | Caregiving roles – Caregiver role strain – Risk for caregiver role strain Family relationships – Dysfunctional family processes Role performance – Impaired social interaction |
| Sexuality | Sexual function – Sexual dysfunction |
| Coping/Stress Tolerance | Post-trauma responses – Risk for relocation stress syndrome Coping responses – Anxiety – Ineffective coping – Death anxiety – Fear – Grieving – Complicated grieving – Powerlessness Neurobehavioral stress – Risk for autonomic dysreflexia |
| Life Principles | – Readiness for enhanced spiritual well-being – Decisional conflict – Spiritual distress |
| Safety/Protection | Infection – Risk for infection 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 Violence – Risk for suicide Environmental hazards – Risk for poisoning Defensive processes – Risk for allergy response Thermoregulation – Hyperthermia – Hypothermia |
| Comfort | Physical comfort – Impaired comfort – Nausea – Acute pain – Chronic pain Social comfort – Risk for loneliness |
| Growth/Development | – Risk for delayed development |
This current NANDA list of nursing diagnoses serves as a valuable starting point for nurses in all settings. By utilizing this standardized language, nurses can effectively communicate patient needs, facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration, and ensure that patients receive the most appropriate and effective care. Continuous updates and revisions to the NANDA-I system reflect the evolving nature of healthcare and the ongoing commitment to improving patient outcomes through precise and relevant nursing diagnoses.
