Expert nursing diagnoses. The link between nursing care plans and patient classification systems.

The two main tools used by the nurse in organizing and managing patient care are nursing care plans and the patient classification system. The author presents an overview of a novel approach that links these two tools through the use of expert nursing diagnoses and then applies the development and use of expert nursing diagnoses to the psychiatric setting. The author also describes the methodology used to develop the related patient classification, clarifies the validation procedure, gives examples of the final product, and considers the application and potential value of the total approach.