Purpose: We aimed to identify the cues of expert nurses and validate the cue information on the defining characteristics for a nursing diagnosis of ineffective self-management of fluid and dietary restrictions in dialysis therapy in Japan.
Methods: We used qualitative interviews and two-round Delphi studies.
Findings: The expert nurses regarded four signs of unmaintained fluid and dietary restrictions as major defining characteristics and nine other cues as minor defining characteristics.
Conclusions: Expert nurses in dialysis therapy regard symptoms of health behavior as major cues for nursing diagnosis of ineffective self-management of fluid and dietary restrictions in dialysis therapy.
Implications for nursing practice: Verification of the clinical validity and development of a specific, clinically useful database on nursing diagnoses are required.
© 2012, The Authors. International Journal of Nursing Knowledge © 2012, NANDA International.