Which feature distinguishes nursing diagnoses from medical diagnoses?

• A. Involve clinical judgment about the client's response to health problems
• B. Are based on disease pathology
• C. Are determined by laboratory results
• D. Are written by physicians

Answer: (A)

Nursing diagnoses describe how a patient responds to a health problem and guide the nursing plan of care. This requires clinical judgment about the client’s experiences, functioning, risks, and needs, rather than naming a disease itself. That’s why nursing diagnoses are centered on the patient’s response to illness or injury and the actions nurses will take to support recovery and safety.

Medical diagnoses, by contrast, identify a specific disease or pathology, typically based on signs, symptoms, and test results, and are often established by physicians. Because nursing care focuses on the patient's functional status and responses, the statement that nursing diagnoses involve clinical judgment about the client's response to health problems best captures what distinguishes them. They aren’t defined by disease pathology, they aren’t determined solely by lab results, and they aren’t written only by physicians.