Home care nurses' perception of standardized nursing diagnosis

Visiting nurse association staff nurses were surveyed to determine whether perceived use of nursing diagnosis had changed since the establishment of diagnosis-related groups and the extent to which diagnostic labeling was valued as part of home care practice. Little change in labeling was perceived, although the acuity level of patients in home care has increased during this time. Nurses found that they were comfortable, however, with their knowledge of the diagnostic process and believed nursing diagnosis provided an added dimension to care not provided by medical labels.