PURPOSE. To examine the awareness of nursing diagnosis in Japan by investigating the reality of its spread and permeation.
METHODS. One group (X) consisted of 67 individuals who were unfamiliar with nursing diagnosis, while the other group (Y) consisted of 20 who were practicing it. The awareness of nursing diagnosis was measured via a researcher-developed questionnaire. A comparative analysis was made between the two groups.
FINDINGS. The cross analysis for group X between “the awareness of improving the nursing diagnosis ability” and “the awareness of the necessity for nursing diagnosis” was significant (p<0.001). Open-ended responses to the question, “What does nursing as a profession consist of?” were categorized into five factors. Triple cross-analysis of both groups on each factor yielded one significant result for Group Y with the factor “nursing diagnosis was necessary but improving ability to use it was another matter” (p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS. The subjects' familiarity with nursing diagnosis was systematically related to its evaluation, causing ambivalent feelings toward it. Also, regardless of subjects' familiarity with nursing diagnosis, there was a feeling that it is a difficult skill to master. While subjects felt skill using nursing diagnosis was prestigious, their sense of a lack of this skill led to blocking its spread and permeation.
