Which statements accurately reflect the distinction between nursing diagnoses arrived at as part of the nursing process and medical diagnoses?

Question

Select all that apply.
A) A nursing diagnosis is determined following an assessment and analysis of data gathered only by registered nurses; a medical diagnosis is determined following an assessment and analysis of data gathered only by physicians.
B) A nursing diagnosis changes as the client's responses to an illness or health situation change; a medical diagnosis remains the same as long as the disease process persists.
C) A nursing diagnosis describes a client's physical, sociocultural, psychological, and spiritual responses to an illness or health condition; a medical diagnosis refers to disease processes.
D) A nursing diagnosis considers the etiology of the health problem to give direction to required nursing care; a medical diagnosis does not consider the etiology of the health problem to give direction to medical care.
E) A nursing diagnosis requires the nurses to consider standards and norms as well as cues from clients in discerning an appropriate nursing diagnostic label; a medical diagnosis uses standards and norms only.
F) Both nursing diagnoses and medical diagnoses include a wellness diagnosis component.

Answer 1

Answer: B, C

Nursing diagnoses consider physical, psychosocial, and spiritual responses to illnesses or conditions, whereas medical diagnoses are concerned primarily with disease processes. Nursing diagnoses change as the client's response to the illness or situation changes, whereas medical diagnoses remain in place as long as the disease process persists. Both nursing and medical diagnoses involve considering client cues as well as standards and norms. Both consider etiology (e.g., "Viral Pneumonia" and "Disturbed Sleep Pattern related to frequent coughing"). Both nursing and medical diagnoses are based not only on information gathered, respectively, by the nurse and physician directly during their assessments, but often include data from other sources. For example, in arriving at a medical diagnosis of "HIV," in addition to the exam findings, a physician would consider lab tests and the nurse's report that the client has had several recent unexplained prior illnesses suggestive of compromised immunity. Similarly, in identifying a risk nursing diagnoses, nurses consider the medical diagnosis. For example, a prudent nurse would identify a client with a recent medical diagnosis of "Cerebrovascular Accident" as having a "Risk for Falls" nursing risk diagnosis. Health promotion diagnoses are one type of nursing diagnosis but are not an aspect of medical diagnoses.