How does the use of nursing diagnosis fit with the trend toward interdisciplinary care planning?
When the nurse participates in interdisciplinary care planning, a clear and concise language to describe the nursing perspective on a client’s needs promotes effective communication. The nurses’ time is used efficiently when a common language is used to identify client problems. There are limitations to the use of medical diagnosis terminology when describing clients’ needs in a comprehensive approach. For instance, the medical diagnosis of cerebrovascular accident tells the health team very little about the problems the client is experiencing. In contrast, the nursing diagnosis Impaired physical mobility related to inability to move left arm and leg gives a clearer picture of the client’s problem. The NANDA-Approved Nursing Diagnoses may offer a resource to improve the interdisciplinary process in health care.
