How is the nursing diagnosis written?

• A. A fixed two-part statement always used.
• B. one-two or three part statement depending on whether the nurse has identified a wellness, risk or actual problem.
• C. Always three-part statement.
• D. One-part wellness statement.

Answer: (B)

Nursing diagnoses are written in formats that vary with the type of problem identified. If the issue is a wellness or readiness for enhanced condition, it is usually a one-part statement. If it’s a risk diagnosis, it’s a two-part statement that notes the problem and the related factors, since there are no defining symptoms yet. If it’s an actual problem, it’s a three-part statement: the diagnostic label, the related factor, and the evidence or symptoms that support it. Because the answer here acknowledges that the format can be one, two, or three parts depending on whether the problem is wellness, risk, or actual, it correctly reflects how nursing diagnoses are written in practice. For example, a wellness one-part statement might be Readiness for enhanced nutrition; a two-part risk statement could be Risk for infection related to immunosuppression; a three-part actual statement might be Acute pain related to surgical incision as evidenced by guarding and vocalization.