Anxiety: Nursing Diagnosis & Care Plan
🎓 Educational reference. Match to your patient's actual assessment data and have your instructor review it.
Definition: A vague, uneasy feeling of discomfort or dread in response to a perceived threat.
Related factors ("related to")
- Health crisis or diagnosis
- Unfamiliar environment
- Threat to role or safety
Defining characteristics ("as evidenced by")
- Reports of worry, tension, apprehension
- Restlessness, increased heart rate
- Difficulty concentrating
Sample goals / outcomes
- Patient reports reduced anxiety and uses one coping strategy by end of shift.
Nursing interventions
- Provide calm, honest reassurance and information
- Teach relaxation and breathing techniques
- Encourage support and address specific fears
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Build a care plan freeAnxiety nursing diagnosis: FAQ
What is the Anxiety nursing diagnosis?
A vague, uneasy feeling of discomfort or dread in response to a perceived threat.
What are the related factors for Anxiety?
Common related factors: Health crisis or diagnosis; Unfamiliar environment; Threat to role or safety. In your care plan, write it as "Anxiety related to [factor] as evidenced by [your patient's data]."
What are nursing interventions for Anxiety?
Key interventions: Provide calm, honest reassurance and information; Teach relaxation and breathing techniques; Encourage support and address specific fears — each with a rationale in your plan.
Last reviewed 2026-07. Educational content in standard clinical language; not medical advice and not affiliated with NANDA-I/NIC/NOC.