Mapping Care Using Standardized Terminology
BY
Bolajoko Olagbaju
American Sentinel University

Introduction Knowledge deficit is a prevalent condition among patients, characterized by the lack of both cognitive information and psychomotor skills that are necessary for promotion and maintenance of health, and for a healthy recovery. The nursing profession is faced with the need to address this problem, whether in the hospital, in ambulatory care, or in-home setting. To address knowledge deficit, the learning process involves three domains: the psychomotor domain, the affective domain, and the cognitive domain. The involved nurse engages the patients in making vital decisions on what and how the patient will be taught. Addressing knowledge deficit in nursing care is necessitated by the high number of patients with inaccurate perception concerning their health statuses (Billay, Myrick, Luhanga, & Yonge, 2007). Misinformation and lack of information associated with knowledge deficit can culminate in psychological alteration, which manifests in anxiety and depression.
NANDA Nursing Diagnoses, Definition and Classification As mentioned above, knowledge deficit is marked by lack of crucial cognitive information, which is related to specific health topics. This problem is classified as among the main health conditions inherent in patients who have suffered from chronic illnesses. The defining characteristics of knowledge deficit are inaccuracy in adhering to instruction from nurses, inaccurate test performance, inappropriate and exaggerated behaviors like hostility, apathy, agitation, and hysteria among others. Further, the problem is evidenced by the lack of knowledge on the medical condition of an individual, unfamiliarity with sources of critical medical information, and misinterpretation of medical information (Lunney, 2006). Additional