Refractory angina is resistant to all of the conventional treatments available for coronary artery disease, including medication, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) (Mannheimer et al. 2002). Patients with refractory angina generally have limited functional capacity and restricted activities (Sevinc & Akyol 2010), which can be evaluated through stress tests and indicated by determining angina [Canadian Cardiology Society (CCS)] and heart failure (New York Heart Association [NYHA]) classes. The ND of activity intolerance, defined as insufficient physiological or psychological energy to endure or complete ten required or desired daily activities, might be appropriate for these patients (NANDA-I 2008). The defining characteristics of the ND of activity intolerance are electrocardiographic changes reflecting ischemia, electrocardiographic changes reflecting arrhythmia, exertion discomfort and/or dyspnea, verbal reports of fatigue and/or weakness, abnormal heart rate and/or blood pressure response to activity (NANDA-I 2008), which indicate the potential suitability of this particular ND for patients with refractory. It is noteworthy that identification the ND is important because nurses prescribe nursing interventions based on this and consequently better care priorities are established (Muller-Staub et al. 2009). Systematised care using the nursing process, which includes the identification of ND, was studied (Muller-Staub et al. 2009, Martins et al. 2010) and the findings confirmed that the appropriate use of ND contributes to the scientific foundation for its use.