Traditionally, diagnosis has been viewed as a physician responsibility separate from what nurses can do per their scope of practice; however, nurses have always made contributions to the diagnostic process.9,10 In 2017, Gleason and colleagues presented a conceptual model that was developed to formalize nurses’ engagement in the diagnostic process.10 Their conceptual framework included three interconnected spheres of role functioning: diagnostic triage, interprofessional teamwork, and patient empowerment.
Because nurses spend most of their time providing direct patient care, they have the greatest bedside presence of any healthcare team member and may discover or learn of information that is integral to making an accurate and timely diagnosis.11 Nurses and other care team members also provide essential monitoring and surveillance of patients’ conditions that may help clinicians confirm their working diagnoses or consider alternative diagnoses.
A recently convened expert panel further stressed the value of a team-based approach to reducing diagnostic errors, identifying the development of strategies to strengthen teamwork and engage patients as its top research priorities.12 Nurses are key members of this team-based approach and well positioned to help reduce diagnostic errors and achieve diagnostic excellence.
