Understanding 'Risk For' in Nursing Diagnoses: A Comprehensive Guide

The abbreviation "RT" stands for "risk for" in nursing diagnosis. It is used in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) to represent an increased likelihood of occurrence. Therefore, when a clinical condition has not actually developed at the time of an assessment but the client is judged to be vulnerable or susceptible to development or an actual problem, you use a nursing diagnosis with this title, that includes Risk For in its name (Ackley and Ladwig, 2016).