Proposal of nursing diagnosis “adult disuse syndrome”: A conceptual derivation and integrative review

Purpose

To develop a nursing diagnosis proposal derived from the concept of “disuse syndrome” based on an integrative review.

Methods

The conceptual derivation technique, proposed by Walker and Avant, was used in the following phases: an integrative review of the literature was carried out, applying the parameters of Whitermore and Knalf, where 43 articles were selected that covered the existence of the concept in the nursing discipline and other health sciences, the concepts were subsequently analyzed, and the new concept was redefined following the middle-range theory of causality and validation of nursing diagnoses proposed by Oliveira-Lopes et al.

Findings

The proposal of the new nursing diagnosis was developed, including the following elements: diagnostic label adult disuse syndrome, the corresponding definition, 25 defining characteristics, eight related factors, eight risk populations, and 14 associated problems.

Conclusions

The concept of the proposed new diagnosis describes adult disuse syndrome as a phenomenon that transcends the physiological component and should be viewed from a multidimensional view, expressing a clinical judgment related to a series of nursing diagnoses that appear together.

Implications for nursing practice

The results of this study will help nursing professionals to identify the phenomenon of adult disuse syndrome in any setting and in turn guide optimal care interventions that decrease the consequences of adult disuse syndrome.