OBJECTIVE: To identify nursing diagnoses in people with diabetes mellitus according to Orem's theory of self-care. METHODS: The sample consisted of 31 people with diabetes mellitus who received care in 2006 at a University Research and Community Service Center in the state of São Paulo. Data were collected through health assessment and interviews. Nursing diagnoses were made according to NANDA-I Taxonomy II, using critical thinking described by Risner. RESULTS: Among 37 nursing diagnoses, 3 of them were present in more than 50% of the participants: ineffective management of therapeutic regimen (67%), knowledge deficit (51%), and impaired skin integrity (51%). Eighteen nursing diagnoses were related to Orem's requirements for universal self-care. CONCLUSION: Knowing the most common nursing diagnoses in people with diabetes mellitus can guide the educative actions of nurses in promoting the development of self-care agency among people with diabetes mellitus.
Nursing diagnosis; Diabetes mellitus; Nursing care
