Fluid Volume Deficit Nursing Diagnosis & Care Plan

Dehydration, or fluid volume deficit, means that the body is losing too much fluid. A fluid volume deficit can occur for numerous reasons, most commonly due to vomiting and diarrhea. It generally presents as decreased or dark urination, dry mouth, excessive thirst, and/or sunken eyes.

Developing a fluid volume deficit nursing care plan can help patients, their loved ones, and other healthcare professionals understand the root cause and the steps required to correct it while treating the signs and symptoms.

---

What is Fluid Volume Deficit?

Fluid Volume Deficit refers to dehydration or hypovolemia. Dehydration refers to the loss of too much fluid in the body. ¹

Body fluids include water, electrolytes, blood plasma, proteins, and other soluble particles, also known as solutes, and can exist intracellularly or extracellularly. Intracellular fluids (ICFs) are inside cells and consist of proteins, water, electrolytes, and solutes, primarily potassium. Extracellular fluids (ECF) are fluids found outside of cells and are mostly sodium. ²

Signs and Symptoms of Fluid Volume Deficit

Signs and symptoms of a fluid volume deficit, or dehydration, vary depending on the patient's age. However, it’s important not to ignore any of the signs. Common symptoms include:

• Dry mouth
• Sunken eyes and cheeks
• Fatigue
• Dark-colored urine
• Less frequent urination
• Thirst
• Headache
• Dry skin
• Poor skin turgor
• Muscle cramps
• Irritability
• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Listlessness
• Sunken fontanelles 
• Lack of wet diapers
• Tachycardia
• Tachypnea
• Pale Skin
• Cool to cold extremities ^{1, 3}

Causes of Fluid Volume Deficit

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Excessive sweating
• Fever
• Severe bleeding
• Diuretic/Medication Use
• Diabetes
• Age
• Decreased fluid intake ⁴

---

How to Develop a Fluid Volume Deficit Nursing Care Plan

When developing a fluid volume deficit nursing care plan, the first step is determining a patient’s goals. Although you’ll generate parts of the nursing care plan on your own, the nursing diagnosis must be on the NANDA-I approved nursing diagnosis list.

According to the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA),  a nursing diagnosis is “a clinical judgment about the human response to health conditions/life processes, or a vulnerability for that response, by an individual, family, group or community.”

A nursing diagnosis is rooted in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs pyramid and helps prioritize treatments. Based on the nursing diagnosis, you’ll set goals to resolve your patient’s problems through nursing implementations determined in the next step.

NANDA-I separates nursing diagnoses into four categories:

• Problem-focused: A diagnosis based on patient problems present during a nursing assessment.
• Risk: A diagnosis based on risk factors that require intervention from a nurse or healthcare team before a real problem develops.
• Health promotion: A diagnosis that intends to improve the overall well-being of an individual, family, or community.
• Syndrome: Based on a cluster of nursing diagnoses that occur in a pattern or can all be addressed through the same or similar nursing interventions.

Determining the most important goals for the patient and the corresponding nursing diagnosis provides the basis to create a fluid volume deficit care plan that can best support the patient while reaching those goals.

---

Fluid Volume Deficit Nursing Care Plan Components

A nursing care plan has several key components, including: 

• Nursing Diagnosis
• Expected outcome
• Nursing interventions and rationales
• Evaluation

Each of the five main components is essential to the overall nursing process and care plan. A properly written care plan must include these sections. Otherwise, it won’t make sense.

• Nursing diagnosis: A clinical judgment that helps nurses determine the plan of care for their patients.
• Expected outcome: The measurable action for a patient to be achieved in a specific time frame. 
• Nursing interventions and rationales: Actions to be taken to achieve expected outcomes and reasoning behind them.
• Evaluation: Determines the effectiveness of the nursing interventions and determines if expected outcomes are met within the time set.

---

Fluid Volume Deficit Nursing Care Plan Examples

All nursing diagnoses must be NANDA-I approved and have corresponding definitions to help guide nurses in writing a nursing care plan. ⁵

NANDA-I Definition of Fluid Volume Deficit: A state where there is a lack of fluid in the intravascular, interstitial, and/or intracellular spaces, leading to dehydration. ⁵

Other Nursing Care Plans

• Hypertension Nursing Care Plan
• Acute Pain Nursing Care Plan
• Constipation Nursing Care Plan
• Infection Nursing Care Plan

Resources

¹ “Dehydration-Dehydration - Symptoms & causes.” n.d. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/syc-20354086.

² McCance, Kathryn L., Pathophysiology: The Biologic Basis for Disease in Adults and Children. 8 ed., Elsevier, 2019.

³ Ball, Jane W., Seidel's Guide to Physical Examination: An Interprofessional Approach. 9 ed., Elsevier, 2019.

⁴ Ernstmeyer, Kimberly, and Elizabeth Christman. 2021. Nursing Fundamentals 2e. Eau Claire, Wisconsin: Chippewa Valley Technical College. Chapter 15 Fluids and Electrolytes. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK591823/.

⁵ Herdman, T. H., Shigemi Kamitsuru, and Camila Lopes, eds. 2024. NANDA-I International Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions & Classification, 2024-2026. 13th ed. N.p.: Thieme Medical Publishers.

Nursing Care Plan