Evaluation of the accuracy of nursing diagnoses in a Brazilian emergency service.

摘要

PURPOSE: The study aims to verify the accuracy of 10 prevalent nursing diagnoses (NDs) in the emergency service of a Brazilian university hospital. METHODS: The accuracy of 10 prevalent diagnoses was evaluated using the Lunney (1990) scale. The evaluation was based on data recorded from patient charts by nurses. Each diagnosis was evaluated in three separate clinical instances, resulting in a total of 30 evaluations. FINDINGS: The evaluation characterized 24% (7) of the NDs as highly accurate, while 76% (23) were considered to be of low accuracy. CONCLUSION: The low levels of accuracy detected in some diagnoses highlight the need for nurses to develop skills in accurately applying the diagnostic process involving the use of NDs. However, in order to confirm (or not) the observed low levels of diagnostic accuracy, studies with larger sample sizes should be carried out. This is essential as it is recommended that care processes be supported by knowledge about accuracy. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Educational interventions should be implemented that hone the ability to make accurate NDs in clinical nursing practice. Further studies are also needed to evaluate the accuracy of NDs elaborated by nurses in different clinical contexts.