A nursing diagnosis is:

A nursing diagnosis is:

• A. Identifies nursing problems
• B. Is not changed during patient stay
• C. Derived from the physician's history
• D. Is a statement of a patient response to a health problem that requires nursing intervention

Answer: (D)

A nursing diagnosis describes how the patient responds to a health problem and what nursing care is needed to address that response. It’s the statement that ties the patient’s experience to actions nurses can independently perform, guiding the plan of care. This makes it the best choice because it focuses on the patient’s actual or potential responses and the nursing interventions required, rather than labeling the disease itself. Medical diagnoses identify the disease or condition, whereas a nursing diagnosis centers on the patient’s experience and the nurse-led interventions to support or improve that experience. Nursing diagnoses can be updated as the patient’s status changes during a stay, reflecting the dynamic nature of care. They’re based on the nursing assessment data, not directly derived from the physician’s history.

A nursing diagnosis describes how the patient responds to a health problem and what nursing care is needed to address that response. It’s the statement that ties the patient’s experience to actions nurses can independently perform, guiding the plan of care. This makes it the best choice because it focuses on the patient’s actual or potential responses and the nursing interventions required, rather than labeling the disease itself.

Medical diagnoses identify the disease or condition, whereas a nursing diagnosis centers on the patient’s experience and the nurse-led interventions to support or improve that experience. Nursing diagnoses can be updated as the patient’s status changes during a stay, reflecting the dynamic nature of care. They’re based on the nursing assessment data, not directly derived from the physician’s history.