A nursing diagnosis is best described as:

• A. The disease condition diagnosed by physician
• B. Clinical judgment by an RN about a health problem
• C. A drug prescription written by a physician
• D. A treatment plan for symptoms

Answer: (B)

Nursing diagnosis is a clinical judgment by a registered nurse about a health problem that can be addressed with nursing actions. It comes from assessment data and identifies actual or potential problems that nursing interventions can resolve or prevent. It guides the care plan and independent nursing actions, distinct from physician-diagnosed conditions or medical orders.

This differs from a medical diagnosis, which is a disease condition identified by a physician. It also differs from a drug prescription, which is a physician’s order for treatment, and from a treatment plan for symptoms, which outlines actions to manage symptoms but does not state the nursing problem itself.