Conceptual development and validation of the nursing diagnosis "Disturbed thought process".

PURPOSE To validate the content of the nursing diagnosis proposal Disturbed thought process. METHODS With an exploratory and descriptive design, the content validation for each component of the diagnosis proposal was pursued, based on a previous broad conceptual work, through consulting experts, applying Fehring's Diagnosis Content Validation Model. The modified Delphi technique was used by sending out three rounds of questionnaires electronically to seek consensus among the experts. FINDINGS The nursing diagnosis version validated in this study includes the diagnosis label Disturbed thought process, the corresponding definition, 15 defining characteristics, and 13 related factors. The resulting diagnosis total Diagnosis Content Validation score was 0.99, implying its content validation. CONCLUSIONS The validated diagnosis proposal describes a human response for which nursing professionals can autonomously assess and prescribe interventions leading to improvement of this health problem and/or alleviate its consequences, preserving the patient's autonomy and helping them to address their situation. It will be included in the next edition of the nursing diagnosis classification NANDA-I 2021-2023. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE The results of this study will help nursing professionals reduce the potential impact among patients who suffer from an alteration in cognitive functioning in its executive function dimension, as the validated diagnosis proposal will make it possible to identify and report this problem precisely.