The abbreviation R/T in a nursing diagnosis stands for “Related To.” It is a fundamental component of structured clinical documentation used by nurses to plan patient care. This shorthand is a concise way to identify the probable cause or contributing factor, known as the etiology, behind a patient’s health problem. The R/T component acts as the bridge connecting the identified patient problem to the specific reasons for its existence, helping the healthcare team understand the underlying mechanics for nursing interventions.
The Meaning of R/T in Clinical Documentation
The R/T statement functions as the second part of a problem-focused nursing diagnosis, articulating the factor that is causing or contributing to the client’s identified health issue. This factor is what the nurse can independently address through specific interventions to improve the patient’s condition. For example, a patient may experience a problem like “Impaired Physical Mobility” R/T the contributing factor of “incisional pain.”
The nursing diagnosis focuses on the patient’s response to a health condition, distinguishing it from a medical diagnosis, which names the disease itself. For example, a medical diagnosis might be “Pneumonia,” but the nursing diagnosis focuses on the patient’s reaction, such as “Ineffective Airway Clearance.” The R/T statement links this nursing problem to an addressable cause, like “increased tracheobronchial secretions,” which the nurse can target with interventions such as suctioning or positioning.
The R/T factor must be something within the scope of nursing practice to manage or modify, rather than simply restating the medical diagnosis. Instead of using a broad term like “R/T chronic kidney disease,” a more effective R/T statement focuses on a physiological consequence the nurse can influence, such as “R/T decreased glomerular filtration rate.” This specificity ensures the resulting care plan is actionable and directly relevant to the nurse’s independent function.
How R/T Fits into the Nursing Diagnosis Structure
The R/T factor is integrated into a standardized, three-part statement often referred to as the P-E-S format: Problem, Etiology, and Signs/Symptoms. The Problem component is the diagnostic label, typically from the NANDA International list, which describes the patient’s current health status. The Etiology, introduced by the R/T, provides the underlying cause of that problem for the individual patient.
This structure is written as: [Problem] R/T [Etiology]. For instance, a statement might read, “Impaired Skin Integrity R/T immobility and pressure on bony prominences.” The chosen etiology must be a factor that a nurse can directly influence or mitigate, ensuring the care plan leads to practical interventions. Using factors like immobility allows the nurse to plan specific actions, such as turning the patient every two hours, to address the cause of the skin problem.
The R/T statement must be specific to the individual patient’s situation and not a mere restatement of the problem itself. The goal of this structured documentation is to ensure interventions are focused on removing or reducing the cause of the problem. Without a clearly defined R/T, the care plan lacks direction, making it difficult to select appropriate nursing actions.
R/T Versus As Evidenced By
A common point of confusion arises when differentiating the R/T component from the third part of the P-E-S statement, which is introduced by “As Evidenced By” (AEB). While R/T identifies the cause or the “why” a problem exists, AEB identifies the signs and symptoms, or the “proof,” that the problem is actually occurring. AEB represents the objective and subjective data collected during the patient assessment.
These defining characteristics, linked by AEB, are the observable cues that support the problem statement. For example, the AEB details might include a patient’s verbal complaint of pain or a visible physical manifestation, such as a measurable area of swelling. The R/T explains the connection between the problem and its cause, while the AEB confirms the problem is present through measurable data.
A complete nursing diagnosis statement synthesizes all three elements: [Problem] R/T [Etiology/Cause] AEB [Data/Symptoms]. An example is: “Acute Pain R/T surgical intervention AEB patient reporting pain level of 8 on a 1-10 scale and guarding the incision site.”
The R/T component (surgical intervention) guides the nurse’s intervention toward pain management. The AEB component (the pain rating and guarding) provides the measurable data used to evaluate if the intervention was successful. Risk diagnoses are an exception, as they only use the R/T factor and do not require an AEB, because the problem has not yet occurred.