A content validation study of five nursing diagnoses by critical care nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Critical Care
• Healthcare Research

Background:

• Nursing diagnoses are crucial for standardized care planning.
• Understanding frequently used diagnoses and their characteristics enhances clinical relevance.
• Critical care settings present unique challenges for diagnosis validation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify prevalent nursing diagnoses in critical care settings.
• To assess the content validity of defining characteristics for selected nursing diagnoses.
• To inform the development of clinically applicable nursing diagnoses.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, descriptive study design.
• Survey administered to 59 registered nurses in critical care units.
• Utilized the Nursing Diagnoses Validation Instrument to collect data on diagnostic content validity (DCV) scores and perceived frequency.

Main Results:

• Major defining characteristics were identified for all five studied nursing diagnoses.
• Alterations in Comfort and Impaired Skin Integrity were perceived as the most frequently used nursing diagnoses.
• Consensus on defining characteristics was observed for Impaired Skin Integrity, Sleep Pattern Disturbance (Adult), and Activity Intolerance.

Conclusions:

• Findings support the consensus on defining characteristics for several nursing diagnoses, including Impaired Skin Integrity and Sleep Pattern Disturbance (Adult).
• Preliminary support exists for the defining characteristics of Sleep Pattern Disturbance (Child) and Parental Role Conflict.
• Further research on content validation of frequently used diagnoses is recommended to ensure clinical utility.