Spiritual and coping needs of critically ill patients: validation of nursing diagnoses

Although testing of physiologic nursing diagnoses has occurred, critical care nurses have not validated the defining characteristics of the diagnoses, Spiritual Distress and Ineffective Individual Coping. This research report describes how critical care nurses rated the defining characteristics of these diagnoses. Specific strategies are given to assist nurses in recognizing the defining characteristics so that they can effectively intervene in the spiritual and coping needs of patients, thereby enhancing patient outcomes.