Assessing the Use of the NANDA‐International Nursing Diagnoses at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile Ife, Nigeria

PURPOSE.  This study assessed the use of the NANDA-I nursing diagnoses in a Nigerian hospital. METHODS.  A multi-stage sampling method was used to select seven wards and 67 nursing process booklets from the Medical, Surgical, Orthopedic, and Mental Health Units of the hospital. FINDINGS.  A total of 154 nursing diagnoses were made: 50.7% were made within the first 48 hours of admission, while 35.8% were made on reassessments. The most frequently used nursing diagnoses were self-care deficit, pain, and anxiety. CONCLUSION.  The NANDA-I nursing diagnoses are in use in Nigeria, adding support to the global use of the NANDA-I taxonomy, but findings also suggest a need for an assessment framework informed by nursing. PRACTICE IMPLICATION.  Nurses in Nigeria would benefit from training programs organized by NANDA-I and national institutions to further refine their use of the nursing process.