Use of nursing diagnoses and interventions in public health nursing practice.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the frequency of use of NANDA diagnoses and the Nursing Interventions Classification in care plans written by public health nurses (PHNs) in Orange County, CA.


METHODS
Retrospective chart review.


RESULTS
The frequency pattern of nursing diagnoses and nursing interventions used in care plans is consistent with the scope of practice of the PHN, whose emphasis is on health promotion and disease prevention.


CONCLUSIONS
The most commonly used diagnoses and interventions provide evidence of a core set of interventions useful for PHN practice.


CONCLUSIONS
Linking diagnoses and interventions allow PHNs to build a body of knowledge based on patient care and improve clinical decision-making process.
Rivera
Jennifer C
JC
Orange County Health Care Agency, Santa Ana, CA, USA.
Parris
Kathleen M
KM
D002140:California; D004282:Documentation / Q000145:classification; D006801:Humans; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009731:Nursing Audit; D009733:Nursing Diagnosis / Q000145:classification* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009737:Nursing Records / Q000145:classification; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000145:classification*; D011637:Public Health Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards