How does a nursing diagnosis differ from a medical diagnosis?

• A. A medical diagnosis identifies disease; a nursing diagnosis describes a patient response to health problems.
• B. They are identical.
• C. A nursing diagnosis identifies financial issues.
• D. Medical diagnoses are not used in patient care.

Answer: (A)

Medical diagnoses identify diseases or medical conditions, while nursing diagnoses describe how a patient responds to those health problems and what nursing actions can address them. A medical diagnosis tells you what is wrong from a pathology standpoint—say, pneumonia or diabetes. A nursing diagnosis focuses on the patient’s coping, safety, or functional status in relation to that problem—such as impaired gas exchange, ineffective breathing pattern, or risk for infection transmission—so nurses can plan independent interventions aimed at the patient’s responses and outcomes. This distinction helps nurses target care that improves the patient’s daily functioning and safety, even as the medical team treats the underlying disease.