title: Care plan hints.
abstract: Considering defining characteristics as symptoms of a nursing diagnosis can help one choose the most appropriate diagnosis of a patient. This article gives examples illustrating the use of defining characteristics. These examples help explain the relationship of the various components of the care plan and nursing process.
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Hutcherson
mesh_terms: D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D009736:Nursing Process; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D014956:Writing