Ineffective Breathing Pattern Nursing Diagnosis & Care Plan

Effective and comprehensive nursing care plans help healthcare professionals create an individualized approach to provide patient-centered care. By developing clear short-term and long-term goals, the patient and their family can better understand the disease and the healing process. 

An ineffective breathing pattern is a common nursing diagnosis most commonly associated with respiratory diseases and disorders, as well as a myriad of other diagnoses. 

What is an Ineffective Breathing Pattern?

An ineffective breathing pattern refers to when an individual's breathing is abnormal in rate, pattern, depth, and/or timing. When breathing is not effective, the body is unable to properly oxygenate, which can lead to respiratory failure.¹

Causes of Ineffective Breathing Pattern

Respiratory Issues

• COPD
• Hypoxia
• Airway Obstruction
• Asthma
• Pneumonia
• Bronchitis

Neurological and Neuromuscular Issues

• Tumor
• Diaphragm Paralysis
• Spinal Cord Injury

Other Issues

• Cardiovascular diseases & heart failure
• Pain
• Obesity
• Medication
• Smoking
• Age
• Anemia
• Surgery
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Infection
• Fatigue
• Drug Overdose
• Alcohol Abuse and Withdrawal ^1,2 

Signs and Symptoms of Ineffective Breathing Pattern

• Respiratory depth
• Dyspnea
• Nose wing beats
• Bradypnea
• Decreased inspiratory pressure
• Decreased expiratory pressure
• Altered chest excursion
• Apnea
• Prolonged expiratory phase
• Orthopnea
• Pursed-lip breathing
• Adventitious breath sounds
• Reduced vesicular murmurs
• Cough
• Accessory muscle use
• Tachypnea
• Decreased pulmonary expansion
• Airway fatigue
• Increased secretions ³

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How to Develop an Ineffective Breathing Pattern Nursing Care Plan

Nursing care plans help nurses and other healthcare professionals meet short-term and long-term goals for each patient. When developing an ineffective breathing pattern nursing care plan, the first step is determining those 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 an ineffective breathing pattern care plan that can best support the patient while reaching those goals.

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Ineffective Breathing Pattern 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 nursing interventions and determines if the expected outcomes are met within the specified time.

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Ineffective Breathing Pattern Nursing Care Plan Examples

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

NANDA-I Definition for Risk for ineffective breathing pattern: Inspiration and/or expiration that does not provide adequate ventilation. ⁴

Other Nursing Care Plans

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

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References

¹ McCance, Kathryn L., Sue E. Huether, Valentina L. Brashers, and Neal S. Rote, eds. 2019. Pathophysiology: The Biologic Basis for Disease in Adults and Children. 8th ed. N.p.: Elsevier.

² Ball, Jane W., Seidel's Guide to Physical Examination: An Interprofessional Approach. 9 ed., Elsevier, 2019.

³  Prado, Patricia R., Ana R. Cassia Bettencourt, and Juliana Lima Lopes. 2019. “Related Factors of the Nursing Diagnosis Ineffective Breathing Pattern in an Intensive Care Unit.” Latin American Journal of Nursing 27 (October). https://doi.org/10.1590/1518-8345.2902.3153.

⁴ 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.

⁵ Ernstmeyer, Kimberly, and Elizabeth Christman. 2021. Nursing Fundamentals 2e. Eau Claire, Wisconsin: Chippewa Valley Technical College. Table 8.2b https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK591823/.

Nursing Care Plan