Nursing Diagnoses Used in Neonatal and Adult Intensive Care Units: An Evaluation of their Suitability According to the Nanda-I List.

Background: Individualized nursing care is provided in intensive care units (ICU) to improve the individual's bio-physiological, psychological and social well-being status by eliminating the problem directly affecting his/her life. Aim: This study was planned to determine the nursing diagnoses frequently used in neonatal and adult intensive care units and to evaluate their suitability according to the NANDA-I (The North American Nursing Diagnosis Association-International) list. Materials and Methods: The data of this descriptive study were collected by examining (Level I-III) nursing care plan records (n = 121) in neonatal (n = 35) and adult (n = 86) internal-surgical intensive care units in a training and research hospital between the years of 2008-2018. The data collection tool developed by the researchers considering the relevant literature information consisted of the information form and current NANDA-I list of nursing diagnoses grouped according to Gordon's Functional Health Patterns, where frequently used nursing diagnoses are recorded. Results: The most frequent problem-focused nursing diagnoses determined by the nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) were found to be disturbed sleep pattern (85.7%), ineffective airway clearance (60%), and ineffective breastfeeding (42.7%), while the most frequent risk nursing diagnoses were found to be risk for infection (100%) and risk for falls (62.9%). On the other hand, the most frequent problem-focused nursing diagnoses determined in the adult intensive care unit (ICU) were found to be self-care deficit (79.1%), deficient knowledge (77.9%) and ineffective airway clearance (64.0%), while the most frequent risk nursing diagnoses were found to be risk for infection (87.2%) and risk for falls (79.1%). Conclusion: As a result of this study, it was concluded that the determined nursing diagnoses did not include the primary responses of the individuals related to all life activities, did not achieve unity of standard nursing terminology, and were insufficient to comply with the NANDA-I terminology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]