Exploring the influence of nursing diagnosis education on Romanian nurses’ intention, attitudes, and behavior: a cross-sectional study

Background and aims. The introduction of accreditation criteria for hospitals has generated increased interest in applying the nursing process to clinical practice and developing nursing care plans. Nursing diagnosis plays a pivotal role in the formulation of these care plans. The objective of the study is to investigate the correlation between nursing diagnosis education and nurses’ intentions, attitudes toward the use of nursing diagnosis and the behavior in using it in practice; to explore the differences between nurses’ intentions, attitudes and behavior, considering nurses’ socio-demographic and professional data. Methods. A cross-sectional design was used. A web-based survey was applied to gather data. A sample of 664 hospital nurses was recruited from five Romanian hospitals. Results. Education on nursing diagnosis showed significant results in relation to nurses’ intentions (F(2,126.35) = 23.99, p < 0.001), attitudes (χ2 (2,N = 664) = 44.62, p < 0.001) and behavior (F(2,167.69) = 29.53, p < 0.001) in using it in clinical practice. Nurses with education highly focused on nursing diagnosis have significantly stronger intention to use it, more positive attitudes and higher behavior in using it in clinical practice compared to nurses whose education simply had included a nursing diagnosis course, or nurses without any education on the topic. Significant differences were identified in intention (t (83.86) = -4.49, p < 0.001) and attitudes (U = 12697.50, z = - 3.99, p < 0.001, r = -0.0006) of management nurses compared to clinical nurses. Conclusion. Nursing education on nursing diagnosis significantly impacts nurses’ intentions, attitudes, and behavior in their daily practice. Romanian nurses display slightly positive intention and attitudes toward nursing diagnosis but need more training for effective/practical clinical application.