A Delphi study to determine defining characteristics of interdependence and dysfunctional independence as potential nursing diagnoses.

Nurses deal with human behavior and are often responsible, not only for their own interpersonal behavior but also for assessment, analysis, and interventions relative to the behavior of clients. This exploratory study was designed to elicit responses from certified psychiatric-mental health clinical nurse specialists relative to the defining characteristics of interdependence and dysfunctional independence. A Delphi methodology was used to obtain a total of 10 defining characteristics for interdependence and 13 defining characteristics for dysfunctional independence. Three operational definitions were obtained for each of the characteristics from the ratings of nurses who contributed information based on the behaviors of their own clients. These characteristics are the basis for future studies relating to dependence, independence, and interdependence.