Nursing Education Site
Explore our extensive collection of Nursing Diagnosis Care Plans and Nanda Nursing Diagnosis resources, including Nursing Interventions and Rationales.
Altered mental status (AMS) is any change from a client’s usual level of alertness, attention, thinking, or behavior, from mild confusion to coma. It is a sign, not a disease: something is affecting the brain, and the nurse’s job is to protect the client while the cause is found and treated. AMS is not a … See Nursing Diagnoses
Ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that implants outside the uterine cavity, most often in a fallopian tube. It cannot grow to term, and if the tube ruptures it can cause severe internal bleeding and shock. It is a medical diagnosis, not a nursing diagnosis; the nursing diagnoses used most often are Risk for Shock, Acute … See Nursing Diagnoses
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain tissue, most often caused by a virus such as herpes simplex, and less often by an autoimmune reaction. It is a medical emergency: the client may have fever, headache, confusion, behavior changes, and seizures. It is a medical diagnosis, not a nursing diagnosis; the nursing diagnoses used most often … See Nursing Diagnoses
Malnutrition is a lack of energy, protein, or other nutrients that changes body composition and function — weight and muscle are lost, wounds heal slowly, and infections and falls become more likely. It is a medical diagnosis, not a nursing diagnosis; the nursing diagnoses used most often are Inadequate Protein-Energy Nutritional Intake, Impaired Swallowing, Risk … See Nursing Diagnoses
Hypoglycemia is a blood glucose level below 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L), most often in a person taking insulin or a sulfonylurea. It is not a nursing diagnosis on its own; the nursing diagnoses used most often are Risk for Unstable Blood Glucose Level, Acute Confusion, Ineffective Health Self-Management, and Risk for Adult Falls. The nurse … See Nursing Diagnoses