NANDA Nursing Diagnosis Book

NANDA-I Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions and Classification

Nursing diagnosis is a central expression of nursing’s clinical judgment and a foundational element of the nursing process. It provides the professional foundation for identifying human responses to health conditions and life processes, guiding autonomous nursing judgment and ensuring that nursing care is visible, evidence-based, and clinically accountable.

The NANDA-I Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions and Classification text has long served as the definitive reference for this work. Maintained through the global community of experts within INKA (formerly NANDA® International, NANDA-I), this publication represents the most current, peer-reviewed nursing diagnosis classification book available to the profession. And now, beginning with the 14th edition, it also provides patient outcome statements for each diagnosis, along with goals and nursing actions.

More than a book of diagnostic labels, this is a foundational clinical and scholarly resource. It supports shared nursing language, strengthens diagnostic and clinical reasoning, and advances nursing practice across acute care, community settings, education, informatics, research, and policy.

INKA’s role is to steward and advance this classification as part of a broader commitment: ensuring that nursing knowledge remains assessment-driven, diagnosis-centered, scientifically grounded, and globally relevant.

Purchase and Translations

The current edition of NANDA-I Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions and Classification (2024–2026) is available for purchase through our publishing partners. This text remains the primary reference for the nursing diagnosis classification maintained by INKA (formerly NANDA International, NANDA-I).

Current Edition (English)

NANDA-I Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions and Classification, 2024–2026

Publication date: April 2024

→ Purchase the current edition: https://shop.thieme.com/NANDA-I-International-Nursing-Diagnoses/9781684206025

INKA members, please log in to the Member Portal to receive your member discount.

What’s Included in the Current Edition

Each edition of NANDA-I Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions and Classification reflects the most current approved diagnostic knowledge from the INKA community.

Updates include:

New and Revised Nursing Diagnoses

The classification continues to expand as new human responses are identified, validated, and approved through submission and review.

Updated Diagnosis Labels

Revisions ensure diagnosis labels remain consistent with current literature and reflect nursing’s focus on human response.

Modified Definitions

Definitions have been updated across the vast majority of diagnoses, including risk diagnoses, to improve clarity and clinical usability.

Standardized Diagnostic Indicator Terms

The text strengthens understanding by standardizing key diagnostic components:

• Defining characteristics
• Related factors
• Risk factors
• Associated conditions
• At-risk populations

This supports nurses, educators, informaticians, and researchers in applying diagnoses accurately across contexts.

Web-Based Resources

Supplemental online materials include chapter resources and reference lists to support learning and clinical implementation.

How Nurses Use NANDA International Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions & Classification

NANDA International Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions & Classification supports nursing practice by making clinical judgments visible, consistent, and teachable. It helps nurses identify and name human responses to health conditions and life processes, strengthening clinical reasoning, documentation, communication, and research.

Nurses in Practice

In clinical settings, standardized nursing diagnoses support accurate, diagnosis-centered clinical reasoning and consistent documentation. A shared classification helps nurses identify priorities, communicate clearly across care teams, and strengthen continuity of care across transitions.

Ontology, Classification, and Taxonomy in Nursing Diagnosis

Standardized Nursing Language (SNL) is a unified, approved vocabulary used to consistently document nursing assessments, nursing diagnoses, patient goals outcomes, and nursing actions or interventions. It provides a common, structured terminology or set of classifications that enables clear communication, improves data accuracy, and highlights nursing’s specific contribution to patient care across various settings. Within this umbrella term of SNL, we include classifications and taxonomies, although these are distinct from one another.

The NANDA-I classification is increasingly important in digital and informatics contexts, where nursing knowledge must be represented clearly within health information systems.