NUR-519 Southern Connecticut State University – List two NANDA nursing diagnoses commonly used for many long-term care residents.

QUESTION

List two NANDA nursing diagnoses commonly used for many long-term care residents.

Two nursing diagnoses that relate to nutrition include:

From your selected nursing diagnosis statement write an expected outcome.

Using one of the nursing diagnosis above create a nursing diagnosis statement.

As a result of a motor vehicle accident, a patient has fractures of the right wrist, right tibia, and two ribs. What are five nursing diagnoses that might be priorities in the first 3 days of hospitalization and the rationale for each one?

Identify the three parts of the nursing diagnosis statement and provide a description of each aspect.

ANSWER

NANDA Nursing Diagnoses and Prioritization in Long-Term Care and Hospital Settings: A Comprehensive Guide

Two NANDA nursing diagnoses commonly used for many long-term care residents are:

Imbalanced Nutrition: Less Than Body Requirements: This diagnosis is used when a resident’s intake of nutrients is insufficient to meet their metabolic needs. It may be due to factors such as poor appetite, difficulty swallowing, or inadequate access to nutritious food.

Expected Outcome: The resident will achieve adequate nutritional intake and maintain a healthy weight within the desired range.

Risk for Impaired Skin Integrity: This diagnosis is used when a resident is at risk of developing skin breakdown or pressure ulcers (Aboud, 2022). Factors contributing to this risk may include immobility, sensory impairment, poor nutrition, or moisture on the skin.

Expected Outcome: The resident will maintain intact skin without any signs of breakdown or pressure ulcers.

Using one of the nursing diagnoses above, we can create the following nursing diagnosis statement:

Nursing Diagnosis: Imbalanced Nutrition: Less Than Body Requirements related to poor appetite and difficulty swallowing as evidenced by a significant weight loss of 10% within the past month.

Expected Outcome: The patient will consume a balanced diet with adequate caloric intake and show a progressive weight gain of 1-2 pounds per week over the next three months.

For a patient who has experienced a motor vehicle accident with fractures of the right wrist, right tibia, and two ribs, five nursing diagnoses that might be priorities in the first 3 days of hospitalization, along with their rationale, are:

Acute Pain related to fractures and tissue damage: Pain is a priority as it can affect the patient’s comfort, mobility, and overall well-being.

Impaired Physical Mobility related to fractures and immobilization: The patient’s fractures can limit their ability to move, and addressing impaired mobility is crucial to prevent complications such as muscle atrophy, joint stiffness, and pressure ulcers.

Risk for Infection related to open fractures: Open fractures carry an increased risk of infection due to exposure of bone and soft tissues (Cross & Swiontkowski, 2008). Preventing infection is essential to promote proper healing and prevent further complications.

Anxiety related to the traumatic event and hospitalization: The patient may experience anxiety, fear, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following the motor vehicle accident. Addressing their emotional well-being is important for their overall recovery.

Impaired Gas Exchange related to pain, restricted movement, and rib fractures: Rib fractures can impair the patient’s ability to breathe deeply, leading to reduced lung expansion and potential complications such as atelectasis or pneumonia (Dogrul et al., 2020). Ensuring adequate respiratory function is vital.

The three parts of a nursing diagnosis statement are:

Problem (or Diagnosis Label): This is the specific health problem or condition identified and named using standardized nursing diagnosis labels. Examples include “Acute Pain,” “Impaired Physical Mobility,” or “Risk for Infection.”

Etiology (or Related Factors): This describes the underlying cause or contributing factors that are responsible for the problem. These factors help explain why the problem exists in the patient. For example, “related to fractures and immobilization” or “related to poor appetite and difficulty swallowing.”

Signs/Symptoms (or Defining Characteristics): These are the observable cues or subjective reports that indicate the presence of the problem. These signs and symptoms provide evidence that supports the diagnosis. For example, “as evidenced by a significant weight loss of 10% within the past month” or “as evidenced by restricted movement and rib fractures.”

References

Aboud, A. M. A. (2022, October 17). Wound Pressure Injury Management. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532897/ 

Dogrul, B. N., Kiliccalan, I., Asci, E. S., & Peker, S. C. (2020). Blunt trauma related chest wall and pulmonary injuries: An overview. Chinese Journal of Traumatology, 23(3), 125–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjtee.2020.04.003 

Cross, W., & Swiontkowski, M. F. (2008). Treatment principles in the management of open fractures. Indian Journal of Orthopaedics, 42(4), 377. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5413.43373