Nursing diagnoses of diabetic patient medical charts: A descriptive study

Abstract

Aim: identifying taxonomy II nursing diagnoses from the North American Nursing Diagnoses Association International using nursing records associated with outpatient diabetic treatment. Method: a descriptive and retrospective study. Data obtained from 35 patients' medical charts, using a tool devised by the authors and analyzed using relative and absolute frequencies. Result: from eight diagnoses, three of the following showed up in more than 50% of the samples: Ineffective health maintenance; Imbalanced nutrition-more than body requirements; Sedentary lifestyle. Discussion: The findings show that these three diagnoses relate to a very important and unique issue in treating diabetic patients: the difficulty on the part of patients to adhere to treatment and self-care. Conclusion: The findings show that nursing diagnoses are useful with regard to identifying phenomena that require attention in specific treatment contexts, as well as acting as a guide in terms of the assistance offered.