Urinary retention is a condition that develops when an individual is not able to empty his or her bladder of urine. It can be either an acute, a sudden change, or it can be a chronic condition in which the individual gradually over time is unable to completely empty his or her bladder. Signs and … Read more

A person suffers from disturbed body image when one is confused about the mental image of their own physical self. Some signs that a patient may be experiencing this is when s/he refuses to look at or touch their body, verbally expresses negative feelings about their body, experiences a change in social involvement, expresses fear … Read more

Hospitalized patients are at an increased risk of electrolyte imbalance meaning simply they are more susceptible to changes in their electrolyte levels that could potentially compromise their health. Electrolytes are a vital part of normal body function. The electrolytes help maintain electrical neutrality in cells. Likewise, they help to generate and conduct action potentials in … Read more

Fluid volume deficit also known as dehydration can be a common occurrence and nursing diagnosis for many patients. Dehydration is when there is a loss of too much fluid from the body. This leads to a lack of water in the body’s cells and blood vessels. It is due to more fluids being expelled from … Read more

Having a balanced nutrition is vital to an individual’s health and well-being. Imbalanced nutrition refers to either nutrition that is more than or less than the body’s requirements and metabolic needs. It can occur with any individual. Listed below is a brief list of potential causes that may result in an individual experiencing an imbalance … Read more

An anxiety disorder is considered a chronic condition in which the individual has an excessive and persistent sense of apprehension. It can often result in repeated episodes of sudden intense feelings of fear, terror, or being anxious. These episodes are then commonly referred to as panic attacks. The anxiety that causes these can become quite … Read more

Fatigue is a feeling of being extremely overtired that makes it challenging for the individual to carry out their regular activity and normal daily routines. It can cause individuals to feel as if they have no energy to complete their tasks. It also makes some feel that they need to sleep much more often, but … Read more

The nursing diagnosis of activity intolerance is defined as a person having insufficient physiologic or psychologic energy to endure or complete their required or desired daily activities. This can include a wide spectrum of individuals from a pediatric patient to the elderly patient. Individuals that have experienced a decrease in activity in the past or … Read more

Cardiac output is the amount of blood being pumped by the heart per minute and measured in liters/minute. It is calculated by multiplying the stroke volume, which is the amount of blood pumped out of the left ventricle during each systolic cardiac contraction, and the heart rate. Cardiac output is affected by three other factors … Read more

Pain can be considered acute or chronic. Chronic pain occurs when pain signals continue to fire in the nervous system. This is ongoing, lasting longer than the typical healing timeframe which is typically defined as pain that is present for longer than 3-6 months. Every person will experience pain differently and every individual’s tolerance for … Read more