Respiratory nursing diagnoses: practicing nurses' selection of defining characteristics

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Respiratory Care
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Nursing diagnoses are crucial for standardized patient care.
• The North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) has identified several respiratory nursing diagnoses.
• Validation of these diagnoses is essential for their effective clinical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine which defining characteristics of respiratory nursing diagnoses are associated with by professional nurses in acute-care settings.
• To validate the NANDA-approved respiratory nursing diagnoses through expert opinion.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 100 medical/surgical nurses from two hospitals.
• Participants were asked to associate defining characteristics with three NANDA-identified respiratory nursing diagnoses.
• Data analysis focused on the percentage of nurses selecting each characteristic.

Main Results:

• Over 63% of nurses recognized defining characteristics for impaired gas exchange and ineffective airway clearance.
• At least 68% of nurses identified 13 out of 15 characteristics for ineffective breathing pattern.
• Cough and fremitus were recognized by less than 50% of respondents as defining characteristics for ineffective breathing pattern.

Conclusions:

• The study provides initial validation for NANDA's respiratory nursing diagnoses.
• Further research is needed to refine the defining characteristics, particularly for ineffective breathing pattern.
• This validation series aims to enhance the accuracy and utility of respiratory nursing diagnoses in practice.