Nurse's Pocket Guide

KNOWLEDGE
Deficient knowledge about child/development health maintenance,
parenting skills; inability to respond to infant cues
Unrealistic expectations [for self, infant, partner]
Lack of education; limited cognitive functioning; lack of cognitive
readiness for parenthood
Poor communication skills
Preference for physical punishment
PHYSIOLOGICAL
Physical illness
PSYCHOLOGICAL
Young parental age
Lack of prenatal care; difficult birthing process; high number
of/closely spaced pregnancies
Sleep disruption/deprivation; depression
History of mental illness/substance abuse
Disability
SOCIAL
Presence of stress (e.g., financial, legal, recent crisis, cultural
move [from another country/cultural group within same
country]); job problems; unemployment; financial difficulties;
relocations; poor home environment
Situational/chronic low self-esteem
Lack of family cohesiveness; marital conflict; change in family
unit; inadequate childcare arrangements
Role strain; single parent; father/mother of child not involved
Lack of/poor parental role model; lack of valuing of parenthood;
inability to put child’s needs before own
Unplanned/unwanted pregnancy
Low socioeconomic class; poverty; lack of resources; lack of
transportation
Poor problem-solving skills; maladaptive coping strategies
Lack of social support networks; social isolation
History of being abusive/being abused; legal difficulties
Defining Characteristics
SUBJECTIVE
Parental
Statements of inability to meet child’s needs; verbalization of
inability to control child
Information in brackets added by the authors to clarify and enhance
the use of nursing diagnoses.
Diagnostic Studies Pediatric/Geriatric/Lifespan Medications 509
impaired PARENTING