title: High frequency: treatment priority nursing diagnoses in critical care.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to identify high frequency-treatment priority nursing diagnoses in critical care nursing using survey research methods. Through a mailed survey the prevalence of 135 nursing diagnoses from the NANDA Diagnostic Taxonomy and other diagnoses was rated by a national, random sample of 678 critical care nurses. Six important diagnostic areas were: sleep-rest, activity, nutritional-metabolic, cognitive-perceptual, self-perception (mood state), and health management (risk) patterns. Twenty diagnoses were rated as nearly always or frequently present in their practice by 70% or more of the nurses. Findings can be used to focus clinical studies of the highly prevalent diagnoses.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hiltunen
mesh_terms: D003422:Critical Care; D006801:Humans; D009733:Nursing Diagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D015995:Prevalence; D013041:Specialties, Nursing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires