An Analysis of the Nursing Diagnosis Ineffective Management of Therapeutic Regimen Compared to Noncompliance and Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory of Nursing

The authors compare the nursing diagnosis ineffective management of therapeutic regimen with that of noncompliance and with Orem's concept of self-care deficit. The article describes how the diagnosis of ineffective management of therapeutic regimen is more comprehensive than noncompliance. A question of patient autonomy is raised considering how the patient manages his or her therapeutic regimen. The major conclusion is that the nursing diagnosis of ineffective management of therapeutic regimen is based on continuous interaction between patient and nurse. The authors recommend that noncompliance be eliminated as a nursing diagnosis.