[Patients with cardiac disorders: diagnostic profile elaborated for nursing students]

The present study aimed at searching patterns of human responses and diagnoses categories identified by 16 undergraduate nursing students in 22 patients with cardiac alterations admitted in a School Hospital. 77 Nursing Diagnoses (ND) were found, 72.7% in the pattern of EXCHANGING, 7.7% in the pattern of MOVING, 6.4% in the pattern of FEELING and 2.5% in the pattern of RELATING. The predominant diagnoses categories were: knowledge deficit (9%), decreased cardiac output (7.7%), fluid volume excess (6.4%), altered nutrition less than body requirements (6.4%) and high risk for infection (5.1%).