What describes a nursing diagnosis?

• A. A clinical judgment about individual, family, or community responses to actual and potential health problems/life processes
• B. A symptom reported by the patient
• C. A lab finding
• D. A prescription for therapy

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that a nursing diagnosis is a clinical judgment about how a person, family, or community responds to actual or potential health problems or life processes. It describes human responses rather than the disease or condition itself and is based on assessment data. This focus on how health events affect functioning guides nursing care and independent interventions.

A nursing diagnosis can address an existing problem, such as impaired mobility, or a potential risk, such as risk for infection. It’s distinct from a symptom (which is what the patient reports or what you observe), from a lab finding (objective data from tests), and from a prescription for therapy (an order written by a physician). Using a nursing diagnosis helps structure the care plan around how the patient is affected and what nursing actions can address those responses. A common format is the PES statement, which links the problem to its related factors and the evidence supporting it.