Educational issues in preparing community health nurses to use nursing diagnosis with population groups

Recently there has been increased interest in the use of nursing diagnosis by community health nurses who work with population groups in community settings. The purpose of this article is to discuss educational issues important in the preparation of undergraduate students and practising community health nurses in the use of nursing diagnosis with population groups. The educational issues discussed emerged from the findings of a preliminary survey of undergraduate students and community health nurses and were related to: differences in the learning requirements of novice and expert practitioners; common errors in the use of nursing diagnosis; and the perceived benefits and barriers in using nursing diagnosis. There is a need to develop an educational strategy to address these concerns for both undergraduate students and community health nurses.