Maegan Wagner, BSN, RN, CCM

Impaired urinary elimination can occur as a result of a physical abnormality, a sensory impairment, or as a secondary cause of a disorder or disease. Symptoms can vary widely from bladder distention to painful urination to a complete lack of bladder control. Treatment depends on the cause and can include noninvasive interventions such as bladder … Read more

Hyperthermia is a body temperature above 104°F (40°C). Hyperthermia occurs when the body’s thermoregulatory system fails. Heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke from long periods in high temperatures are preventable. Other causes such as sepsis, the body’s inability to perspire and cool itself down such as with spinal cord injuries, or hyperthyroidism … Read more

Diarrhea is an increase in the frequency of bowel movements often characterized by loose stools and urgency. Diarrhea can be acute (lasting only a few days) or chronic (lasting for weeks). Mild cases will resolve on their own while more severe cases accompanied by an infectious process, cancer, or disease, can lead to dehydration and … Read more

Impaired comfort is a multidimensional diagnosis used to describe the physical, emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual challenges a patient encounters. Comfort levels vary between patients and age groups and are dynamic. It is recommended the nurse assess for a specific cause of impaired comfort as much as possible in order to best intervene. Pain and … Read more

Social isolation and loneliness may seem like an insignificant problem but it has the potential to be debilitating to patients and reduce their quality of life. While all patients for a multitude of reasons can be at risk for isolation, older adults have the highest risk due to their loss of spouses and friends, living … Read more

Ineffective coping is the inability to manage, respond to, or make decisions surrounding a stressful situation. Stressors and everyday demands such as work schedules, school deadlines, family needs, and more can compound on top of more serious stressors such as divorce or the loss of a loved one. Patients dealing with chronic, life-altering, or even … Read more

Ineffective health maintenance incorporates components of related nursing diagnoses. Specific diagnoses such as impaired communication, confusion, grieving, hopelessness, spiritual distress, and many others can correlate to ineffective health maintenance. Regardless of the reason, it prevents the patient from identifying, managing, or seeking help to maintain their health. Ineffective health maintenance can be the result of … Read more

A knowledge deficit in relation to healthcare is a lack of information needed for a thorough understanding of a disease process and recommended treatments and the ability to make informed choices or carry out tasks in alignment with health maintenance. A huge barrier to understanding health-related information is low health literacy. Patients with low health … Read more

Impaired physical mobility is a common nursing diagnosis found among most patients at one time or another. It can be a temporary, permanent or worsening problem and has the potential to create larger issues such as skin breakdown, infections, falls, and social isolation. Advancing age is the most common risk factor of impaired physical mobility … Read more

Ineffective tissue perfusion describes the lack of oxygenated blood flow to areas of the body. Proper perfusion is detrimental to the function of organs and body systems as organs and tissues that are not perfusing will die.   Understanding the causes of inadequate perfusion, assessment, monitoring, and interventions is imperative for nurses. Ineffective tissue perfusion can … Read more

An ineffective breathing pattern is defined as inspiration and/or expiration that does not provide adequate oxygenation. This diagnosis is related to the observed rate and depth of breathing, as well as abnormal chest expansion, and accessory muscle use that results in a breathing pattern that does not supply adequate ventilation to the body.   The ABCs; … Read more

Excess fluid volume, fluid overload, and fluid or water retention are all phrases to describe the medical term, hypervolemia. Hypervolemia is when the body has too much fluid. Fluid overload occurs when the body can’t get rid of fluid or holds onto it (retention) usually caused by excess sodium. Water follows sodium in the body, … Read more

Self-care deficit refers to the patient that is limited in performing activities of daily living (ADLs). This can include tasks related to feeding, bathing and hygiene practices, as well as getting dressed and completing toileting. Self-care deficits can also expand to more complex tasks such as making phone calls or managing finances, which are referred … Read more

Falls are the most frequently reported safety incident among hospitalized patients, with 30-50% of falls resulting in injury. Not all falls are preventable, though safety measures should always be implemented to reduce the risk. In fact, falls can be reduced by 20-30% when risk factors are identified and matched with appropriate interventions.  Nurses who are … Read more

The skin is the body’s outermost defense system that keeps pathogens from entering and causing illness. When the skin is compromised due to cuts, abrasions, ulcers, incisions, and wounds, it allows bacteria to enter causing infections. It is important that nurses understand how to assess, prevent, treat, and educate patients on impaired skin integrity.  Causes: … Read more