Critical Thinking Flow Sheet for Nursing Students
Medical Diagnosis (Disease): ___________________________________________________________
Pathophysiology
Pathophysiology has to do with how disease has altered the normal physiological processes of the body. To understand this you must first know
what the normal anatomy and physiology of a body part or body system is. Next, determine how disease has altered that.
The normal anatomy and physiology of this organ/body system The way the anatomy and/or physiology has been changed in this
affected by this disease is: disease is:
As a result of these changes, the person experiences specific signs and symptoms that serve as clues that healthcare personnel look for in
detecting that something might be wrong with a body organ or body symptom.
Signs and Symptoms (Defining Characteristics)
The same symptoms that fit the definition of a medical diagnosis will be the same symptoms you will use to define nursing diagnoses. The
difference is that you will separate each of the symptoms in order to re-combine them in other ways to fit the definition of various nursing
diagnoses. NANDA calls symptoms defining characteristics. Symptoms can also be any abnormal data you collect during your assessment
process.
A patient with this medical diagnosis (or disease) will have the Nursing Diagnoses that have this symptom (defining characteristic)
following signs and symptoms: are:
Medical Diagnosis (Disease): ___________________________________________________________
Pathophysiology
Pathophysiology has to do with how disease has altered the normal physiological processes of the body. To understand this you must first know
what the normal anatomy and physiology of a body part or body system is. Next, determine how disease has altered that.
The normal anatomy and physiology of this organ/body system The way the anatomy and/or physiology has been changed in this
affected by this disease is: disease is:
As a result of these changes, the person experiences specific signs and symptoms that serve as clues that healthcare personnel look for in
detecting that something might be wrong with a body organ or body symptom.
Signs and Symptoms (Defining Characteristics)
The same symptoms that fit the definition of a medical diagnosis will be the same symptoms you will use to define nursing diagnoses. The
difference is that you will separate each of the symptoms in order to re-combine them in other ways to fit the definition of various nursing
diagnoses. NANDA calls symptoms defining characteristics. Symptoms can also be any abnormal data you collect during your assessment
process.
A patient with this medical diagnosis (or disease) will have the Nursing Diagnoses that have this symptom (defining characteristic)
following signs and symptoms: are:
