NANDA-I 2024-2026 edition · Reviewed November 2, 2026 by the editorial team
Diagnosis at a glance
| Code | 00384 |
|---|---|
| Label | Ineffective nausea self-management |
| Before (2021-2023) | Former code 00134 |
| Spanish label | Autogestión de las náuseas ineficaz |
| Domain | 1. Health promotion |
| Class | 2. Health management |
| Type | Problem-focused |
| Status | Current |
What changed in 2024-2026
NANDA-I 2021-2023 had "Nausea," code 00134, in Domain 12 (Comfort). In 2024-2026 it was revised with a different focus: it no longer describes just the sensation but how the person manages it. It is now called "Ineffective Nausea Self-Management," code 00384, and sits in Domain 1, Class 2 (Health management). If you are searching for the "nausea nursing diagnosis," this is the one that matches the current edition.
What it means
The patient has nausea and cannot control it with what they know or do: they cannot pinpoint what triggers it, do not use the prescribed medications correctly, or do not apply measures that would help. The focus is not only the discomfort but their ability to manage it.
Explanation written by our team. The official definition is in the NANDA-I 2024-2026 book.
When to use it
Clinical situations where it commonly shows up. The diagnosis is confirmed by your assessment, not by the medical diagnosis.
- The patient has repeated nausea and what they do (or fail to do) does not relieve it.
- Resuming an oral diet after pancreatitis, abdominal surgery or a GI illness.
- Chemotherapy at home, when the patient has to organize their own antiemetics and meals.
- Opioid-induced nausea in patients with chronic pain or in palliative care.
- Discharge planning for someone who will still have nausea at home.
- Nausea of pregnancy that affects eating and daily life.
What to assess
- Nausea intensity on a 0-10 numeric scale and, when more detail is needed, the Rhodes Index of Nausea, Vomiting and Retching, which scores the three separately.
- Frequency, duration and time of day; relationship to meals, smells, movement, pain or medications.
- What the patient does when the nausea starts and what has worked before.
- Whether they take the prescribed antiemetics, at what time, and how they feel about them.
- Food and fluid intake, weight and signs of dehydration.
- Vomiting: number of episodes, volume and appearance.
- Support at home and ability to follow a plan independently.
Defining characteristics
Assessment findings that support the diagnosis. They go in the "as evidenced by" part of the statement.
- Reports nausea of 4/10 or higher on a numeric scale several times a day despite what they try.
- Does not take the prescribed antiemetic, or takes it only once the nausea is already severe.
- Cannot say which foods, smells or situations trigger the nausea.
- Eats less than half of their meals for fear of vomiting.
- Increased salivation, frequent swallowing or retching.
- Vomiting episodes linked to meals or movement.
- Weight loss over the past few days.
- States they do not know what to do when the nausea starts.
- Avoids getting up, walking or having visitors because of the discomfort.
- Is put off by the smell of certain foods or the whole meal tray.
Related factors
The causes nursing can act on. They go in the "related to" part of the statement.
- Inadequate knowledge of measures to prevent and relieve nausea.
- Misconceptions about antiemetics, such as fear of becoming dependent on them.
- Difficulty identifying their own triggers.
- Meal or medication times that do not match when the nausea occurs.
- Insufficient support from family or the care team to carry out the measures.
- Surroundings with strong odors, noise, or food served right next to the bed.
At-risk populations
- Patients receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
- Women in the first trimester of pregnancy.
- Postoperative patients with a history of anesthesia-related nausea or motion sickness.
- Patients in palliative care or with pain managed with opioids.
- Patients resuming oral intake after an acute GI illness.
Associated conditions
- Chemotherapy and abdominal radiation therapy.
- Opioids or other medications that cause nausea.
- Pancreatitis, gastritis, gastroparesis and partial bowel obstruction.
- Vertigo and inner ear disorders.
- Migraine.
- Pregnancy.
How to write it (PES)
Ineffective Nausea Self-Management related to inadequate knowledge of relief measures and fear of becoming dependent on antiemetics as evidenced by nausea rated 6/10 three times a day, intake of 25% of meals, refusal of the prescribed antiemetic, and stating they do not know what to do when it starts.
Ineffective Nausea Self-Management (00384).
Whatever keeps the patient from controlling their nausea that nursing can change: knowledge gaps, beliefs about medications, unidentified triggers, poorly timed schedules.
The intensity and frequency of the nausea, what the patient eats, how they use their medications, and what they say about their ability to manage it.
Example written by our team for a fictional patient. Adapt it to your own patient's data. Build your statement with the PES generator.
Goals / expected outcomes
Written in measurable terms: what, how much and by when.
- Patient reports nausea of 3/10 or less on a numeric scale within the next 48 hours.
- Patient identifies at least two personal triggers and how to avoid them within 48 hours.
- Patient takes the prescribed antiemetic on schedule or at the first symptom, as ordered, throughout the stay.
- Patient eats at least 50% of meals within 72 hours.
- Before discharge, patient describes their plan: when to take the medication, what to eat and when to seek care.
Nursing interventions and rationales
| Intervention | Rationale |
|---|---|
| Ask the patient to keep a 24-48 hour log of when the nausea occurs, how intense it is and what came before it. | Helps them discover their own triggers, which is the foundation of self-management. |
| Talk through their concerns about the antiemetic and explain what it does and when to take it. | Fear of dependence or side effects is a common reason patients do not use it. |
| Coordinate with the provider so the prescribed antiemetic is given before meals or before procedures that trigger nausea. | Preventing nausea works better than treating it once it is severe. |
| Offer small, frequent, dry, low-fat meals served lukewarm or cold. | Large, hot, greasy meals give off more odor and slow gastric emptying. |
| Remove the tray as soon as the patient finishes, air out the room and avoid perfume or strong odors. | Smells are among the most common triggers. |
| Teach slow, deep breathing, and to eat sitting up and stay upright for 30 minutes afterward. | These are measures the patient can use on their own as soon as the nausea begins. |
| Monitor intake, weight and signs of dehydration. | Ongoing nausea leads to poor food and fluid intake. |
| Develop a written home plan with the patient and family. | A concrete plan improves continuity of care and gives them confidence to manage on their own. |
NOC outcomes and NIC interventions
Outcomes (NOC) and interventions (NIC) that published sources link to this diagnosis. Pick the ones that fit your patient.
NOC outcomes
- 2106Nausea & Vomiting: Disruptive Effects
- 2103Symptom Severity
- 0602Hydration
NIC interventions
- 1020Diet Staging
- 1450Nausea Management
- 1570Vomiting Management
- 2380Medication Management
Linkages drawn from care plans published by health services, universities and nursing journals, originally set for the previous diagnosis (00134 Nausea). Labels may vary depending on the NIC and NOC edition your facility uses.
Case study: Nausea when resuming diet after pancreatitis
Patient. 41-year-old woman on day 5 of a hospital stay for mild acute pancreatitis. She resumed an oral diet 48 hours ago and has nausea that keeps her from eating; discharge is expected in a few days.
Assessment
- Nausea rated 6/10 on a numeric scale, about three times a day, mostly when the meal tray arrives.
- Eats about 25% of each meal.
- Refused two doses of the prescribed antiemetic "because she doesn't want to get used to it."
- One episode of emesis in 24 hours, about 150 mL.
- Weight 2 kg below admission weight; moist mucous membranes, HR 84 bpm.
- States she does not know what to do when the nausea starts or what she will be able to eat at home.
Nursing diagnosis
Ineffective Nausea Self-Management related to inadequate knowledge of relief measures and fear of becoming dependent on antiemetics as evidenced by nausea rated 6/10 three times a day, intake of 25% of meals, refusal of the prescribed antiemetic, and stating she does not know what to do when it starts.
Goal
Within 48 hours, patient reports nausea of 3/10 or less and eats at least 50% of her meals.
Interventions
- Explain how the antiemetic works and clarify that it does not cause dependence.
- Coordinate so the prescribed dose is given 30 minutes before meals.
- Request small, low-fat, lukewarm portions from dietary.
- Remove the tray when she finishes and air out the room.
- Teach slow breathing and staying upright after eating.
- Create a nausea log and a written home plan with her.
Evaluation
At 48 hours she reports nausea of 2-3/10, accepts the antiemetic before meals and eats 60% of her meals. She identifies odors and greasy foods as triggers. The diagnosis stays active until discharge to reinforce the home plan and is resolved once she can explain it without help.
How it differs from similar diagnoses
- Impaired gastrointestinal motility (00423): Impaired gastrointestinal motility is used when the problem lies in GI transit (distension, altered bowel sounds, high gastric residual); nausea may be just one of its cues.
- Inadequate nutritional intake (00343): Inadequate nutritional intake: if the patient is already eating far less than they need, assess for this diagnosis too.
- Inadequate fluid volume (00421): If vomiting has already caused tachycardia, oliguria or dry mucous membranes, add Inadequate fluid volume.
- Ineffective health self-management (00276): Ineffective health self-management is broad, covering management of a chronic illness as a whole. 00384 focuses on nausea only.
Common mistakes
- Still writing "Nausea (00134)" in a care plan based on the 2024-2026 edition.
- Using it for a sedated or immediately postoperative patient who cannot yet manage anything on their own: there the focus is monitoring and treating the vomiting.
- Listing chemotherapy or pancreatitis as the etiology: these are associated conditions.
- Planning only pharmacologic interventions and leaving out patient teaching, which is the core of this diagnosis.
- Not rating intensity on a scale, which makes it impossible to tell whether the plan is working.
Used in these conditions
Other diagnoses in the Health management class
Domain 1, Health promotion. See every diagnosis in this domain.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NANDA code for ineffective nausea self-management?
00384, in Domain 1 (Health promotion), Class 2 (Health management). It is the 2024-2026 revision of the old diagnosis Nausea (00134).
Is Nausea 00134 still a NANDA diagnosis?
It was revised in the 2024-2026 edition, and Ineffective Nausea Self-Management (00384) is used in its place. If your nursing program uses the previous edition, you will still see it as 00134.
Why did the nausea diagnosis move to a different domain?
Because the focus changed: it no longer describes just the discomfort but whether the person knows how to manage it and is able to. That is why it now sits under Health management.
What scale should I use to measure nausea?
A 0-10 numeric scale is enough for everyday practice. The Rhodes Index is useful when you want to score nausea, vomiting and retching separately.
What if the patient is vomiting a lot and getting dehydrated?
Add Inadequate fluid volume (00421). Both diagnoses can coexist, each with its own plan.
Study material: the explanation, characteristics, factors, examples and case study on this page were written by our editorial team. The official text for Ineffective nausea self-management (00384) is in NANDA International Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions and Classification 2024-2026. This page does not replace clinical judgment or your facility's protocols.
Classification sources: NANDA-I 2024-2026, Thieme supplement · Elsevier summary of changes · Spanish edition table of contents · NOC/NIC: source 1, source 2, source 3. Reviewed November 2, 2026.