What Are Examples of Nursing Diagnoses? A Comprehensive Guide

September 24, 2025 •

3 min read

Did you know that over 200 standardized nursing diagnoses are approved by NANDA-I, the authoritative body for this terminology? Understanding what are examples of nursing diagnoses is crucial for nurses to provide effective, patient-centered care that goes beyond simply identifying a medical condition.

Quick Summary

Nursing diagnoses are clinical judgments about an individual's, family's, or community's responses to actual or potential health problems and life processes. Examples fall into four main categories: problem-focused, risk, health promotion, and syndrome diagnoses.

Key Points

Problem-Focused: Identifies an undesirable human response to a health condition that is currently present in the patient [1, 2, 6].
Risk Diagnoses: Addresses potential health problems that a patient is vulnerable to developing, such as Risk for Falls or Risk for Infection [1, 2, 6].
Health Promotion: Centers on a patient's motivation and desire to improve their well-being, often expressed as Readiness for Enhanced... [1, 2, 6].
Syndrome: Refers to a cluster of related nursing diagnoses that can be treated similarly, such as Post-Trauma Syndrome [1, 2, 6].
Nursing vs. Medical: Nursing diagnoses focus on the patient's response and are dynamic, whereas medical diagnoses focus on the disease and are relatively static [2, 4].
PES Format: A key component of writing problem-focused diagnoses, consisting of the Problem, Etiology, and Signs/Symptoms [1, 5].

Understanding the Four Types of Nursing Diagnoses

Nurses use a standardized framework to classify patient health issues, which differ significantly from a physician's medical diagnosis. A medical diagnosis focuses on the disease or pathology, while a nursing diagnosis centers on the patient's holistic response to that condition. According to NANDA International (NANDA-I), these diagnoses are categorized into four types [1, 2, 6]:

Problem-Focused (Actual) Diagnoses

These diagnoses represent an undesirable human response to a health condition or life process that is present at the time of assessment [2, 6]. They are the most common type and are often written using the three-part PES format: Problem, Etiology, and Symptoms [1, 5]. For further details and examples of problem-focused diagnoses, refer to {Link: Incredible Health https://www.incrediblehealth.com/blog/nursing-diagnosis} [1, 3, 5].

Risk Diagnoses

Risk diagnoses identify potential problems that an individual, family, or community is vulnerable to developing [2, 6]. They are written as two-part statements, linking the potential problem with the risk factors [1, 5]. For specific examples of risk diagnoses, consult {Link: Picmonic https://www.picmonic.com/pages/nursing-diagnosis-guide-everything-you-need-to-know/} [1, 3, 5].

Health Promotion Diagnoses

These diagnoses are clinical judgments about a person's motivation and desire to increase well-being and achieve their optimal health potential [2, 6]. They are often written as one-part statements, such as "Readiness for Enhanced..." [1, 5]. Examples of health promotion diagnoses can be found on {Link: Nurseslabs https://nurseslabs.com/nursing-diagnosis/} [1, 3, 5].

Syndrome Diagnoses

Syndrome diagnoses represent a cluster of problem-focused or risk diagnoses that are predicted to occur together in a certain situation [2, 6]. They are typically written as one-part statements [1, 5]. Examples of syndrome diagnoses are available on {Link: Nurse.org https://nurse.org/resources/nursing-diagnosis-guide/} [1, 3, 5].

Nursing Diagnosis vs. Medical Diagnosis: A Comparison

Understanding the distinction between these two is fundamental for nurses [2, 4]. The table below outlines the key differences [2, 4]:


Aspect	Nursing Diagnosis	Medical Diagnosis
Focus	Patient's response to a health condition or life process (e.g., pain, anxiety).	The disease or pathology itself (e.g., pneumonia, diabetes).
Scope	Dynamic; can change daily based on the patient's condition and nurse's interventions.	Static; describes a stable medical condition over time.
Interventions	Nurse-driven and independent; includes comfort measures, education, emotional support, and monitoring.	Physician-driven; includes prescribing medication, surgery, and specific treatments.
Example	Acute Pain related to a surgical incision.	Appendicitis

Detailed Examples of Nursing Diagnoses

Further specific examples categorized by different patient needs like safety, protection, nutrition, coping, stress, activity, rest, perception, and cognition can be explored through the provided citations [1, 3, 5].

The Role of NANDA International (NANDA-I)

NANDA-I plays a crucial role in developing and standardizing nursing diagnoses globally, ensuring consistent, high-quality care planning [1, 2, 4]. This standardized terminology allows nurses to communicate and document patient needs effectively, contributing to better patient outcomes [1, 4]. You can find the full scope of diagnoses and the latest updates on the official NANDA-I website {Link: NANDA-I website https://nanda-i.org/} [4].

Conclusion

Nursing diagnoses are vital tools for providing holistic, patient-centered care. By using the four main categories of diagnoses, nurses can create tailored care plans addressing both the illness and the patient's experience [1, 2, 4, 6]. A strong understanding of these diagnoses enables nurses to make accurate clinical judgments, leading to more effective interventions and improved patient outcomes [1, 4].

Frequently Asked Questions

A nursing diagnosis focuses on the patient's response to their health condition (e.g., Acute Pain), guiding independent nursing interventions. A medical diagnosis focuses on the disease or pathology itself (e.g., Appendicitis) and guides physician-led treatments like medication [2, 4].

Common problem-focused examples include Acute Pain, Impaired Physical Mobility, Ineffective Airway Clearance, Fatigue, and Impaired Skin Integrity. These are based on signs and symptoms observable during a patient assessment [1, 3, 5].

A risk nursing diagnosis is written as a two-part statement. It includes the problem statement followed by "as evidenced by" and a list of specific risk factors. For example, 'Risk for Falls as evidenced by history of falls, muscle weakness, and impaired balance' [1, 5].

The PES format is a three-part statement used for problem-focused diagnoses: P (Problem) is the diagnostic label, E (Etiology) is the related factor or cause, and S (Symptoms) are the defining characteristics or signs and symptoms [1, 5].

Yes, it is very common for a patient to have multiple nursing diagnoses at one time. A nurse may identify several different actual or potential problems, prioritizing the most critical needs first [1, 4].

The official list of standardized nursing diagnoses is defined and updated by NANDA International (NANDA-I). This organization ensures the terminology is consistent and evidence-based for use globally in clinical practice [1, 2, 4].

A health promotion nursing diagnosis is a clinical judgment about a patient's or community's desire to increase well-being and move toward a higher level of health. An example is 'Readiness for Enhanced Knowledge' [1, 2, 6].

Examples related to mental health include Ineffective Coping, Anxiety, Grieving, Hopelessness, and Social Isolation. These focus on the patient's psychological and emotional responses to their health status [1, 3, 5].