Nursing vs Medical Diagnosis: Difference and Comparison

In daily times, we come across so many words in our lives that are both associated with the same subject and because of this, we mistake it for having the same meanings in the world of medicine.

Two such terms are the nursing diagnosis and the medical diagnosis. Both these have their differences in characteristics and features.

Key Takeaways

  1. A nursing diagnosis is a clinical judgment made by a nurse to identify the patient’s response to health problems.
  2. Medical diagnosis is a clinical judgment made by a physician to identify the disease or medical condition that causes the patient’s symptoms.
  3. Nursing diagnosis helps nurses plan, implement and evaluate patient care, while medical diagnosis helps physicians determine treatment options.

Nursing Diagnosis vs Medical Diagnosis

A diagnosis performed by a nurse is called a nursing diagnosis. The main purpose of this diagnosis is to provide care to the patient. A heartbeat diagnosis is an example of a nursing diagnosis. A diagnosis performed by a doctor is called a medical diagnosis. The main purpose of this diagnosis is to identify the patient’s medical condition.

Nursing Diagnosis vs Medical Diagnosis

When a patient makes a specific reaction to a diagnosis done by a doctor on a medical condition is known as a nursing diagnosis.

This is known as a nursing diagnosis since the reaction of this diagnosis to which that nurse takes in action for at that immediate time. The nurses have the right and Autonomy to do so.

A diagnosis that considers and concentrates more on a medical condition is called a medical diagnosis.

Any kind of diagnosis based on a doctor’s finding or performance based on a patient’s medical state is said to be called a medical diagnosis. There is a focus on the illness of the patient when this diagnosis is performed.

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Comparison Table

Parameters of ComparisonNursing DiagnosisMedical Diagnosis
FocusThis type of diagnosis focuses more on care for a patient.This type of diagnosis focuses more on the Etiologic of a patient.
MeaningThere is a process of identification in this type of diagnosis of all the possibilities of risks and problems in a patient.There is a process of identification in this type of diagnosis of a clear medical entity that caused the illness to a patient.
IdentificationThis identifies the signs and symptoms of an illness of a patient.This identifies the pathology that caused the illness to a patient.
Main featureThis helps to focus on the reactions in physical and psychological reactions of a patient.This helps to focus on the actual illness of a patient.
ExampleDiagnosis of heartbeats.Diagnosis of infarcation.
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What is Nursing Diagnosis?

When a patient makes a specific reaction to a diagnosis done by a doctor on a medical condition is known as a nursing diagnosis.

This is known as a nursing diagnosis since the reaction of this diagnosis to which that nurse takes in action for at that immediate time. The nurses have the right and Autonomy to do so.

A nurse with this kind of diagnosis treats the patient which any kind of instant reaction given by a patient with respect to a specific disease.

A patient’s reaction can be anything related to mental trauma or physical or spiritual actions. There is a vast focus on care when it comes to nursing diagnosis by a nurse.

This type of diagnosis is performed by a nurse, which makes them judge a patient’s potential regarding his mental or physical health.

Every nurse present in any hospital must be well-versed in the term of nursing diagnosis. There should be accurate and quick treatment given by a nurse to a reaction of a patient.

nursing diagnosis

What is Medical Diagnosis?

A diagnosis that considers and concentrates more on a medical condition is called a medical diagnosis.

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Any diagnosis based on a doctor’s finding or performance based on a patient’s medical state is said to be called a medical diagnosis. There is a focus on the illness of the patient when this diagnosis is performed.

This type of diagnosis is done by a doctor to a patient To determine which kind of disease or condition is fit for an explanation for the signs and symptoms of a patient.

To sum up, it is basically how a doctor identifies a patient’s illness through his or her symptoms and signs seen through observation.

Medical diagnosis is a process used to determine a disease or illness of a person.

This type of diagnosis includes many complex and rigid procedures involving tests, scans, the medical history of a patient, etc. This is all performed to know the brief about the illness in a patient.

medical diagnosis

Main Differences Between Nursing Diagnosis and Medical Diagnosis

  1. The nursing diagnosis focuses more on care on a patient, and on the other hand, the medical diagnosis focuses more on the Etiologic of a patient.
  2. In nursing diagnosis, there is a process of identification of all the possibilities of risks and problems in a patient, and on the other hand, in medical diagnosis, there is a process of identification of a clear medical entity that caused the illness to a patient.
  3. Nursing diagnosis identifies the signs and symptoms of an illness of a patient, and on the other hand, medical diagnosis identifies the pathology that caused the illness to a patient.
  4. Nursing diagnosis helps to focus on the reactions in physical and psychological reactions of a patient, and on the other hand, medical diagnosis helps to focus on the actual illness of a patient.
  5. A diagnosis related to a heart attack in a Patient is an example of a Nursing diagnosis, and on the other hand, a diagnosis related to infarction is an example of a medical diagnosis.
Difference Between Nursing Diagnosis and Medical Diagnosis
References
  1. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=4kfT3Z43sXsC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=nursing+diagnosis+vs+medical+diagnosis&ots=i9L-U8L5De&sig=UoNgaPN_n-SNNDWrdGGfIceqwno
  2. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=s9yMg-d1KykC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=nursing+diagnosis+vs+medical+diagnosis&ots=Qb7srzGoz0&sig=PiNlCBe0npUl2lazmIFEB5U3LcM

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About Author

Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.