Nursing diagnoses: questions and controversies

Abstract

This article analyses the issues and controversies surrounding nursing diagnoses. In particular, NANDA's attempt to have their nursing diagnosis taxonomy included in the WHO's 10th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases, which ultimately would have made the NANDA taxonomy the definitive nursing classification world wide. A critical analysis and discussion about nursing diagnoses within German-speaking nursing society is long overdue. Internationally, the nursing environment differs in aspects such as culture, philosophy, socio-economic status and legal context--all of which have to be taken account of when developing an international nursing classification system. In this light, the "fit" of the NANDA taxonomy has to be questioned within a European context. Further, the consequences that importing these diagnoses might have on the "profession's" development are usually neglected within the literature.