Implementation of nursing diagnoses through integration with quality assurance

Implementation of nursing diagnosis is both a challenging and frustrating procedure. Guidelines and published experiences are limited. Efforts of one hospital to implement nursing diagnosis demonstrated the value of using quality assurance techniques to monitor the effectiveness of the implementation. Implementation of nursing diagnosis without consideration of intervention and outcome criteria results in trial and error practice. Monitoring the quality and appropriateness of care using standards and criteria for nursing diagnosis leads to new knowledge and insights. The nursing profession now faces the test of managing and disseminating the information that comes from the implementation of nursing diagnosis.