The present study aimed at searching patterns of human responses and diagnoses categories identified by 16 undergraduate nursing students in 22 patients with cardiac alterations admitted in a School Hospital. 77 Nursing Diagnoses (ND) were found, 72,7% in the pattern of EXCHANGING, 7,7% in the pattern of MOVING, 6,4% in the pattern of FEELING and 2,5% in the pattern of RELATING. The predominant diagnoses categories were: knowledge deficit (9%), decreased cardiac output (7,7%), fluid volume excess (6,4%), altered nutrition less than body requirements (6,4%) and high risk for infection (5,1%).
diagnosis; teaching; cardiac alterations