Evaluation of defining characteristics of nursing diagnosis Impaired Comfort

The nursing diagnosis Impaired Comfort (00214) is one of the new diagnoses in NANDA International 2009-2011 (North American Nursing Diagnosis Association International). Its holistic focus containing physical, psycho-spiritual and social dimensions correlates with the problems in menopausal women. The objective of the study was to validate the nursing diagnosis Impaired Comfort (00214) with the focus on menopause. We identified the diagnosis in a selected group of menopausal women (n = 80); their responds were used for evaluation of the defining characteristics of the diagnosis. The patient-focused clinical diagnostic validity model by Fehring was used. A questionnaire-type evaluation tool containing 23 items and identification data was designed to evaluate the defining characteristics. Women evaluated the defining characteristics on the Likert-type scale. After collecting the data, weighted scores (WS) were calculated for each defining characteristic. The research results on major defining characteristics were consistent with the results of other studies. The major defining characteristics selected by women were: Disturbed sleep pattern (WS = 0.76), Reports being hot (WS = 0.76), and Reports being uncomfortable (WS = 0.75). Women described ten defining characteristics as minor, and discarded ten defining characteristics as irrelevant for the nursing diagnosis Impaired Comfort (00214). The research results show the diversity of symptomatology in menopause. The roles of nursing include support for and education of menopausal women focused on positive attitude towards menopause and improvement of bio-psycho-social and spiritual experiencing in women.