What is a Nursing Care Plan?
A nursing care plan (NCP) is a structured method used to pinpoint a patient’s current health needs and foresee potential health issues or risks. These plans are vital for effective communication among nurses, patients, and the broader healthcare team, all working together to achieve the best possible health outcomes. Without a robust nursing care planning process, the consistency and quality of patient care would be significantly compromised.
The process of nursing care planning begins the moment a patient is admitted and is continuously updated to reflect changes in the patient’s condition and the ongoing evaluation of progress towards health goals. Delivering patient-centered care through meticulous planning is the cornerstone of excellent nursing practice. For those seeking comprehensive guidance, a nursing care plans e-book can be an invaluable resource, offering detailed examples and step-by-step instructions to master this essential skill.
Types of Nursing Care Plans
Nursing care plans can be broadly categorized as informal or formal. An informal nursing care plan is essentially a mental strategy, a nurse’s internal plan of action. In contrast, a formal nursing care plan is a documented, either written or digital, guide that systematically organizes all relevant patient care information.
Formal care plans are further divided into two types: standardized and individualized. Standardized care plans are designed to address the common needs of patient groups with similar conditions. Individualized care plans, on the other hand, are specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of each patient, addressing aspects that standardized plans might not cover.
Standardized Care Plans
Standardized care plans are pre-established guidelines developed by healthcare agencies and nursing staff to ensure consistent care for patients with specific conditions. These plans ensure a baseline of acceptable care and enhance efficiency by removing the need to create common care routines repeatedly for many patients in a unit.
It’s important to note that standardized care plans are not designed to meet individual patient goals and needs directly. Instead, they serve as a foundational starting point from which individualized care plans can be developed.
The care plans outlined in resources like a nursing care plans e-book are typically standardized care plans. These serve as excellent frameworks for developing patient-specific, individualized plans.
Individualized Care Plans
An individualized care plan takes a standardized plan and customizes it to align with the specific needs and goals of a particular patient, incorporating approaches known to be effective for them. This method promotes more personalized and holistic care, better suited to the patient’s unique circumstances, strengths, and objectives.
Furthermore, individualized care plans can significantly improve patient satisfaction. When patients perceive their care as specifically designed for them, they feel more valued and understood, leading to greater satisfaction. In today’s healthcare environment, where patient satisfaction is a key metric of quality, this aspect is increasingly important. An e-book on nursing care plans can provide examples of how to effectively individualize care plans, focusing on nursing diagnosis and intervention strategies.
Tips on how to individualize a nursing care plan:
- Thoroughly assess the patient’s unique needs, preferences, and goals.
- Incorporate patient’s cultural, spiritual, and psychosocial background.
- Adjust standardized interventions based on patient’s specific condition and response to treatment.
- Collaborate with the patient and family in the planning process.
- Regularly review and revise the care plan to reflect changing needs.
Objectives
The objectives of creating nursing care plans are multifaceted and aim to:
- Advance evidence-based nursing care, creating comfortable and familiar settings in healthcare facilities.
- Foster holistic care by addressing the patient’s physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs in disease management and prevention.
- Develop structured care programs such as care pathways and care bundles. Care pathways ensure team consensus on care standards and expected outcomes, while care bundles standardize best practices for specific conditions.
- Clearly define and differentiate between healthcare goals and expected patient outcomes.
- Enhance communication and documentation within the care plan framework.
- Establish measurable standards for nursing care quality and effectiveness. For nurses seeking to deepen their understanding and skills, a nursing care plans e-book offers detailed guidance on setting objectives and utilizing nursing diagnosis and intervention effectively.
Purposes of a Nursing Care Plan
Nursing care plans serve several critical purposes, highlighting their importance in healthcare:
- Defines the Nurse’s Role: Care plans clarify the distinct and autonomous role of nurses in addressing patients’ overall health and well-being, independently of physician orders.
- Provides Direction for Individualized Patient Care: They act as a care roadmap, enabling nurses to apply critical thinking in developing patient-specific interventions.
- Ensures Continuity of Care: Care plans allow consistent, high-quality interventions across different nursing shifts and departments, maximizing treatment benefits for patients.
- Coordinates Care: They ensure all healthcare team members are informed of patient needs and required actions, preventing gaps in care.
- Documentation: Care plans accurately document necessary observations, nursing actions, and patient/family instructions. Proper documentation in the care plan provides evidence of care delivery. A nursing care plans e-book often emphasizes the importance of meticulous documentation and provides templates for effective record-keeping.
- Guides Staff Assignment: They assist in assigning staff with specific skills to patients with complex needs.
- Monitors Progress: Care plans facilitate tracking patient progress and adjusting care strategies as health conditions and goals evolve.
- Supports Reimbursement: Insurance companies use medical records, including care plans, to determine coverage and payment for hospital services.
- Defines Patient Goals: They involve patients in their treatment, benefiting both patients and nurses by fostering collaboration and understanding of care objectives.
Components
A nursing care plan (NCP) typically includes key components such as nursing diagnoses, patient problems, expected outcomes, nursing interventions, and rationales. These elements are detailed further below. For a deeper dive into these components, a nursing care plans e-book can provide comprehensive explanations and examples of nursing diagnosis and intervention strategies.
Care Plan Formats
Nursing care plan formats are commonly organized into three, four, or five columns, depending on the healthcare setting and specific needs.
Three-Column Format
The three-column format includes sections for nursing diagnosis, outcomes and evaluation, and interventions.
Three-column nursing care plan format emphasizes nursing diagnosis and intervention alongside patient outcomes.
Four-Column Format
This format expands on the three-column plan by adding a separate column for goals and outcomes, thus differentiating them from evaluation. It includes columns for nursing diagnosis, goals and outcomes, interventions, and evaluation.
Four-column nursing care plan template offers a more detailed structure, clearly separating goals from evaluation.
Below are sample templates for various nursing care plan formats, which can be particularly useful when accessed through a nursing care plans e-book, allowing for easy digital access and modification.
Download: Printable Nursing Care Plan Templates and Formats
Student Care Plans
Student care plans are typically more extensive and detailed than those used by practicing nurses. This is because they serve as a crucial learning tool for nursing students, helping them develop comprehensive care planning skills.
Student nursing care plans are designed to be more detailed, focusing on the rationale behind each nursing diagnosis and intervention.
Often, student care plans are required to be handwritten and include an additional column for “Rationale” or “Scientific Explanation” after the nursing interventions. Rationales are the scientific principles that justify the selection of specific nursing interventions. A nursing care plans e-book designed for students would likely emphasize the importance of rationales in developing effective nursing diagnosis and intervention strategies.
Writing a Nursing Care Plan
Creating an effective nursing care plan (NCP) involves a systematic approach. Here are the steps to develop a comprehensive care plan for your patient.
Step 1: Data Collection or Assessment
The first step in developing a nursing care plan is to compile a comprehensive patient database using various assessment techniques and data collection methods. These include physical assessments, health history, interviews, reviews of medical records, and diagnostic studies. This patient database encompasses all gathered health information. This initial assessment is crucial for identifying related or risk factors and defining characteristics that will inform the nursing diagnosis. Many institutions and nursing schools provide specific assessment formats to guide this process, resources that might also be found compiled in a nursing care plans e-book.
Critical thinking is essential in patient assessment. It involves integrating knowledge from various scientific disciplines and professional guidelines to effectively evaluate patient needs. This process is vital for complex clinical decision-making, aiming to accurately identify healthcare needs within a supportive environment and using reliable information.
Step 2: Data Analysis and Organization
Once patient health information is collected, the next step is to analyze, cluster, and organize this data. This structured analysis is essential for formulating accurate nursing diagnoses, setting priorities, and defining desired outcomes. A nursing care plans e-book can provide frameworks and examples for effectively organizing patient data to facilitate accurate nursing diagnosis and intervention planning.
Step 3: Formulating Your Nursing Diagnoses
Nursing diagnoses are standardized statements that identify specific patient needs and responses to actual or potential health problems. They focus on health issues that can be prevented or resolved through independent nursing interventions. Accurate nursing diagnosis is the foundation of an effective care plan, guiding the selection of appropriate nursing interventions.
Detailed guidance on formulating nursing diagnoses can be found in resources like a nursing diagnosis manual or a comprehensive nursing care plans e-book, such as: Nursing Diagnosis (NDx): Complete Guide and List.
Step 4: Setting Priorities
Setting priorities involves ranking nursing diagnoses and interventions in a preferential order. In this step, nurses collaborate with patients to determine which identified problems require immediate attention. Diagnoses are typically categorized as high, medium, or low priority, with life-threatening issues taking precedence.
Nursing diagnosis is closely linked to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which helps prioritize care based on fundamental human needs. Developed by Abraham Maslow in 1943, this hierarchy posits that basic physiological needs must be met before higher-level needs like self-esteem and self-actualization can be addressed. Physiological and safety needs form the base of this hierarchy and are foundational in nursing care and intervention planning.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
- Basic Physiological Needs: These include essentials for survival: nutrition (water and food), elimination, airway (suction)-breathing (oxygen)-circulation (pulse, cardiac monitor, blood pressure) (ABCs), sleep, sex, shelter, and exercise.
- Safety and Security: This level addresses the need for safety and security, including injury prevention (side rails, call lights, hand hygiene, isolation, suicide precautions, fall precautions, car seats, helmets, seat belts), fostering trust and safety (therapeutic relationship), and patient education on modifiable risk factors (e.g., for stroke, heart disease).
- Love and Belonging: This involves the need for social connections and belonging, achieved through fostering supportive relationships, preventing social isolation (addressing bullying), using active listening, therapeutic communication, and addressing needs for sexual intimacy.
- Self-Esteem: This level focuses on the need for self-respect and recognition, including community acceptance, professional achievements, personal accomplishments, a sense of control, and positive body image.
- Self-Actualization: The highest level, focusing on personal growth and fulfillment, facilitated by empowering environments, spiritual development, understanding diverse perspectives, and achieving one’s full potential.
Virginia Henderson’s 14 Needs provide a nursing-specific lens through which to apply Maslow’s Hierarchy, further refining nursing diagnosis and intervention strategies. Learn more about it here.
Patient health values, beliefs, available resources, and the urgency of needs are critical factors in setting priorities. Patient involvement in this process is essential to ensure cooperation and adherence to the care plan. A nursing care plans e-book might include decision-making frameworks to assist in prioritizing nursing diagnosis and intervention strategies based on patient needs and Maslow’s hierarchy.
Step 5: Establishing Client Goals and Desired Outcomes
After prioritizing nursing diagnoses, nurses and patients collaborate to set goals for each priority. Goals or desired outcomes define what the nurse aims to achieve through nursing interventions derived from the patient’s nursing diagnoses. Goals guide intervention planning, serve as benchmarks for evaluating patient progress, help determine problem resolution, and motivate both patient and nurse by providing a sense of accomplishment.
Examples of well-formulated goals and desired outcomes, highlighting the importance of specific and measurable criteria in nursing care plans.
For each nursing diagnosis, an overarching goal is established. The terms “goal outcomes” and “expected outcomes” are often used interchangeably.
Goals should adhere to the SMART criteria, as outlined by Hamilton and Price (2013): Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-oriented.
- Specific: Goals must be clear, significant, and focused to be effective.
- Measurable or Meaningful: Measurability allows for progress tracking and determination of goal achievement.
- Attainable or Action-Oriented: Goals should be challenging yet achievable.
- Realistic or Results-Oriented: Goals should be practical and consider available resources to ensure successful outcomes.
- Timely or Time-Oriented: Each goal needs a defined timeframe to maintain focus and provide motivation.
Hogston (2011) suggests using the REEPIG standards to further refine care planning and ensure high-quality care: Realistic, Explicitly stated, Evidence-based, Prioritized, Involve, and Goal-centered. These frameworks, along with examples of nursing diagnosis and intervention strategies, are often detailed in a nursing care plans e-book.
- Realistic: Goals must be achievable with available resources.
- Explicitly stated: Instructions should be clear to avoid misinterpretation.
- Evidence-based: Interventions should be supported by research.
- Prioritized: Urgent problems should be addressed first.
- Involve: Planning should include the patient and multidisciplinary team members.
- Goal-centered: Care plans should directly aim to achieve set goals.
Short-Term and Long-Term Goals
Goals and expected outcomes must be measurable and patient-centered. They are designed to prevent problems, facilitate resolution, and support rehabilitation. Goals can be categorized as short-term or long-term. In acute care settings, short-term goals are more common due to the immediate focus on patient needs. Long-term goals are typically used for patients with chronic conditions or those in long-term care facilities.
- Short-term goal: A change in behavior achievable in a short period, typically hours to days.
- Long-term goal: An objective to be achieved over weeks or months.
- Discharge planning: Involves setting long-term goals to promote continued recovery and problem resolution through home health services or other referrals.
Components of Goals and Desired Outcomes
Goal and desired outcome statements usually consist of four components: a subject, a verb, conditions or modifiers, and a criterion of desired performance.
Breakdown of the components of effective goals and desired outcomes in a nursing care plan, emphasizing clarity and measurability in nursing diagnosis and intervention planning.
- Subject: Typically the patient, a part of the patient, or a patient attribute (e.g., pulse, temperature, urinary output). Often omitted but assumed to be the patient unless otherwise specified (e.g., family).
- Verb: Specifies the action the patient is expected to perform, learn, or experience.
- Conditions or modifiers: Describe the circumstances under which the behavior should occur (what, when, where, how).
- Criterion of desired performance: Indicates the standard for evaluating performance or the level of expected behavior. This is optional but enhances measurability.
When writing goals and desired outcomes, consider these tips:
- Frame goals in terms of patient responses, not nurse activities. Start with “Client will […]” to focus on patient behavior and outcomes.
- Avoid goals focused on nurse actions; concentrate on what the patient will achieve.
- Use observable, measurable terms. Avoid vague language that requires subjective interpretation.
- Ensure outcomes are realistic given patient resources, abilities, limitations, and care duration.
- Verify compatibility with other healthcare professionals’ therapies.
- Each goal should stem from a single nursing diagnosis to facilitate clear evaluation of care effectiveness and the link between nursing diagnosis and intervention.
- Ensure goals are important and valued by the patient to promote engagement and cooperation. A nursing care plans e-book often provides templates and examples to help nurses formulate SMART, patient-centered goals aligned with nursing diagnosis and intervention strategies.
Step 6: Selecting Nursing Interventions
Nursing interventions are specific actions nurses perform to help patients achieve their goals. Interventions should aim to eliminate or reduce the causes of the priority nursing problem or diagnosis. For risk-related nursing problems, interventions should focus on mitigating risk factors. Nursing interventions are identified and documented during the planning phase of the nursing process but are implemented during the implementation phase.
Types of Nursing Interventions
Nursing interventions can be categorized as independent, dependent, or collaborative.
Classification of nursing interventions, highlighting the differences between independent, dependent, and collaborative actions in patient care.
- Independent nursing interventions are actions nurses are authorized to initiate based on their professional judgment and skills. These include ongoing assessments, emotional support, comfort measures, patient education, physical care, and referrals.
- Dependent nursing interventions are carried out under physician orders or supervision. These include administering medications, intravenous therapy, diagnostic tests, treatments, diet modifications, and activity or rest orders. Nurses also assess patients and provide explanations when carrying out dependent interventions.
- Collaborative interventions are actions nurses perform in coordination with other healthcare team members, such as physicians, social workers, dietitians, and therapists. These interventions leverage the expertise of various professionals to provide holistic care.
Nursing interventions should be:
- Safe and appropriate for the patient’s age, health status, and condition.
- Achievable with available resources and time.
- Consistent with the patient’s values, culture, and beliefs.
- Compatible with other planned therapies.
- Based on nursing knowledge, experience, and relevant scientific evidence.
When documenting nursing interventions, follow these guidelines:
- Date and sign the care plan to ensure accountability and facilitate future reviews and planning.
- Nursing interventions should be specific and clearly worded, starting with an action verb that precisely describes the nurse’s expected action. Include qualifiers specifying how, when, where, timing, frequency, and amount for clarity. Examples include: “Educate parents on how to take temperature and report any changes,” or “Assess urine for color, amount, odor, and turbidity.”
- Use only institution-approved abbreviations to maintain clarity and avoid errors. A comprehensive nursing care plans e-book will provide numerous examples of effective, well-documented nursing diagnosis and intervention strategies.
Step 7: Providing Rationale
Rationales, or scientific explanations, justify why specific nursing interventions are chosen for the NCP.
Example of nursing interventions paired with rationales, demonstrating the scientific basis for each action in a care plan. This is particularly emphasized in nursing education and resources like a nursing care plans e-book.
Rationales are typically included in student care plans to help connect pathophysiological and psychological principles to nursing interventions. They may not be a standard component of care plans used by practicing nurses but are invaluable for learning and understanding the evidence-based nature of nursing practice.
Step 8: Evaluation
Evaluation is a continuous, planned, and purposeful process to assess a patient’s progress toward achieving goals and to determine the effectiveness of the nursing care plan (NCP). It is a critical phase of the nursing process that dictates whether interventions should continue, be modified, or be discontinued. Nursing care plans e-books often include evaluation checklists and frameworks to ensure comprehensive assessment of nursing diagnosis and intervention effectiveness.
Step 9: Putting it on Paper
The patient’s care plan is documented according to hospital policy and becomes a part of the permanent medical record, accessible for review by all care providers. Nursing programs often use various care plan formats, commonly designed to systematically follow the steps of the nursing process, with many adopting a five-column format. Digital nursing care plans e-books provide readily adaptable templates for documenting care plans in various formats.
Nursing Care Plan List
This section provides a categorized list of sample nursing care plans (NCPs) and nursing diagnoses for a wide range of diseases and health conditions.
Basic Nursing and General Care Plans
Miscellaneous nursing care plan examples applicable across various settings:
| Basic Nursing & General Care Plans |
|---|
| Acute Confusion (Delirium) and Altered Mental Status |
| Acute Pain and Pain Management |
| Activity Intolerance and Generalized Weakness |
| Cancer (Oncology Nursing) |
| Caregiver Role Strain and Family Caregiver Support Systems |
| Chronic Confusion (Dementia) |
| End-of-Life Care (Hospice Care or Palliative) |
| Fall Risk and Fall Prevention |
| Fatigue and Lethargy |
| Geriatric Nursing (Older Adult) |
| Grieving and Loss |
| Hypothermia and Cold Injuries |
| Hyperthermia (Fever) |
| Impaired Swallowing (Dysphagia) |
| Insomnia and Sleep Deprivation |
| Prolonged Bed Rest |
| Risk for Injury and Patient Safety |
| Self-Care and Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) |
| Surgery (Perioperative Client) |
| Systemic Lupus Erythematosus |
| Total Parenteral Nutrition |
Surgery and Perioperative Care Plans
Care plans specifically for patients undergoing surgical intervention.
| Surgery and Perioperative Care Plans |
|---|
| Amputation |
| Appendectomy |
| Cholecystectomy |
| Fracture UPDATED! |
| Hemorrhoids |
| Hysterectomy |
| Ileostomy & Colostomy |
| Laminectomy (Disc Surgery) |
| Mastectomy |
| Subtotal Gastrectomy |
| Surgery (Perioperative Client) |
| Thyroidectomy |
| Total Joint (Knee, Hip) Replacement |
Cardiac Care Plans
Nursing care plans for diseases of the cardiovascular system:
| Cardiac Care Plans |
|---|
| Angina Pectoris (Coronary Artery Disease) |
| Cardiac Arrhythmia (Digitalis Toxicity) |
| Cardiac Catheterization |
| Cardiogenic Shock |
| Congenital Heart Disease |
| Decreased Cardiac Output & Cardiac Support |
| Heart Failure UPDATED! |
| Hypertension UPDATED! |
| Hypovolemic Shock |
| Impaired Tissue Perfusion & Ischemia |
| Myocardial Infarction |
| Pacemaker Therapy |
Endocrine and Metabolic Care Plans
Nursing care plans (NCPs) focused on the endocrine system and metabolism:
| Endocrine and Metabolic Care Plans |
|---|
| Addison’s Disease |
| Cushing’s Disease |
| Diabetes Mellitus (Type 1, Type 2) UPDATED! |
| Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) and Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome (HHNS) |
| Eating Disorders: Anorexia & Bulimia Nervosa |
| Fluid Volume Deficit (Dehydration & Hypovolemia) |
| Fluid Volume Excess (Hypervolemia) |
| Gestational Diabetes Mellitus |
| Hyperthyroidism |
| Hypothyroidism |
| Imbalanced Nutrition (Malnutrition) |
| Obesity & Overweight |
| Thyroidectomy |
| Unstable Blood Glucose Levels (Hyperglycemia & Hypoglycemia) |
| Acid-Base Imbalances |
|---|
| Metabolic Acidosis |
| Metabolic Alkalosis |
| Respiratory Acidosis |
| Respiratory Alkalosis |
| Electrolyte Imbalances |
|---|
| Calcium (Ca) Imbalances: Hypercalcemia and Hypocalcemia |
| Magnesium (Mg) Imbalances: Hypermagnesemia and Hypomagnesemia |
| Potassium (K) Imbalances: Hyperkalemia and Hypokalemia |
| Sodium (Na) Imbalances: Hypernatremia and Hyponatremia |
Gastrointestinal
Care plans (NCPs) covering disorders of the gastrointestinal and digestive system:
| Gastrointestinal Care Plans |
|---|
| Appendectomy |
| Bowel Incontinence (Fecal Incontinence) |
| Cholecystectomy |
| Constipation |
| Diarrhea Nursing Care Plan and Management |
| Cholecystitis and Cholelithiasis |
| Gastroenteritis |
| Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) |
| Hemorrhoids |
| Hepatitis |
| Ileostomy & Colostomy |
| Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) |
| Intussusception |
| Liver Cirrhosis |
| Nausea & Vomiting |
| Pancreatitis |
| Peritonitis |
| Peptic Ulcer Disease |
| Subtotal Gastrectomy |
| Umbilical and Inguinal Hernia |
Hematologic and Lymphatic
Care plans related to the hematologic and lymphatic system:
| Hematologic & Lymphatic Care Plans |
|---|
| Anaphylactic Shock |
| Anemia UPDATED! |
| Aortic Aneurysm |
| Bleeding Risk & Hemophilia |
| Deep Vein Thrombosis |
| Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation |
| Hemophilia |
| Kawasaki Disease |
| Leukemia |
| Lymphoma |
| Sepsis and Septicemia |
| Sickle Cell Anemia Crisis |
Infectious Diseases
NCPs for communicable and infectious diseases:
| Infectious Diseases Care Plans |
|---|
| Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) (HIV Positive) |
| Acute Rheumatic Fever |
| Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever |
| Herpes Zoster (Shingles) |
| Influenza (Flu) |
| Pulmonary Tuberculosis |
| Risk for Infection & Infection Control |
Integumentary
Care plans for disorders and conditions affecting the integumentary system:
| Integumentary Care Plans |
|---|
| Burn Injury |
| Dermatitis |
| Herpes Zoster (Shingles) |
| Pressure Ulcer (Bedsores) |
| Wound Care and Skin/Tissue Integrity |
Maternal and Newborn Care Plans
Nursing care plans for the care of pregnant mothers and their infants, essential for maternity and obstetric nursing:
| Maternal and Newborn Care Plans |
|---|
| Abortion (Termination of Pregnancy) |
| Cervical Insufficiency (Premature Dilation of the Cervix) |
| Cesarean Birth |
| Cleft Palate and Cleft Lip |
| Gestational Diabetes Mellitus |
| Hyperbilirubinemia (Jaundice) |
| Labor Stages, Induced, Augmented, Dysfunctional, Precipitous Labor |
| Neonatal Sepsis |
| Perinatal Loss (Miscarriage, Stillbirth) |
| Placental Abruption |
| Placenta Previa |
| Postpartum Hemorrhage |
| Postpartum Thrombophlebitis |
| Prenatal Hemorrhage |
| Preeclampsia and Gestational Hypertension |
| Prenatal Infection |
| Preterm Labor |
| Puerperal & Postpartum Infections |
| Substance (Alcohol and Drug) Abuse in Pregnancy |
Mental Health and Psychiatric
Care plans for mental health and psychiatric nursing:
| Mental Health and Psychiatric Care Plans |
|---|
| Alcohol Withdrawal |
| Anxiety & Fear |
| Anxiety and Panic Disorders |
| Bipolar Disorders |
| Body Image Disturbance & Self-Esteem |
| Impaired Thought Processes & Cognitive Impairment |
| Major Depression |
| Personality Disorders |
| Schizophrenia |
| Sexual Assault |
| Substance Dependence and Abuse |
| Suicide Behaviors |
Musculoskeletal
Care plans related to the musculoskeletal system:
| Musculoskeletal Care Plans |
|---|
| Amputation |
| Congenital Hip Dysplasia |
| Fracture UPDATED! |
| Impaired Physical Mobility & Immobility |
| Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis |
| Laminectomy (Disc Surgery) |
| Osteoarthritis |
| Osteogenic Sarcoma (Osteosarcoma) |
| Osteoporosis |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis |
| Scoliosis |
| Spinal Cord Injury |
| Total Joint (Knee, Hip) Replacement |
Neurological
Nursing care plans (NCPs) for disorders related to the nervous system:
| Neurological Care Plans |
|---|
| Alzheimer’s Disease UPDATED! |
| Brain Tumor |
| Cerebral Palsy |
| Cerebrovascular Accident (Stroke) UPDATED! |
| Guillain-Barre Syndrome |
| Meningitis |
| Multiple Sclerosis |
| Parkinson’s Disease |
| Seizure Disorder |
| Spinal Cord Injury |
Ophthalmic
Care plans relating to eye disorders:
| Ophthalmic Care Plans |
|---|
| Cataracts |
| Glaucoma |
| Macular Degeneration |
Pediatric Nursing Care Plans
Nursing care plans (NCPs) for pediatric conditions and diseases:
| Pediatric Nursing Care Plans |
|---|
| Child Abuse |
| Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate |
| Dying Child |
| Febrile Seizure |
| Hospitalized Child |
| Hydrocephalus |
| Otitis Media |
| Spina Bifida |
| Tonsillitis and Adenoiditis |
Reproductive
Care plans related to reproductive and sexual function disorders:
| Reproductive Care Plans |
|---|
| Cryptorchidism (Undescended Testes) |
| Hysterectomy |
| Hypospadias and Epispadias |
| Mastectomy |
| Menopause |
| Prostatectomy |
Respiratory
Care plans for respiratory system disorders:
| Respiratory Care Plans |
|---|
| Airway Clearance Therapy & Coughing |
| Apnea |
| Asthma UPDATED! |
| Aspiration Risk & Aspiration Pneumonia |
| Bronchiolitis UPDATED! |
| Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) UPDATED! |
| Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) UPDATED! |
| Croup Syndrome |
| Cystic Fibrosis UPDATED! |
| Epiglottitis |
| Hemothorax and Pneumothorax UPDATED! |
| Ineffective Breathing Pattern (Dyspnea) |
| Impairment of Gas Exchange |
| Influenza (Flu) UPDATED! |
| Lung Cancer UPDATED! |
| Mechanical Ventilation |
| Near-Drowning |
| Pleural Effusion |
| Pneumonia |
| Pulmonary Embolism |
| Pulmonary Tuberculosis |
| Tracheostomy |
Urinary
Care plans related to the kidney and urinary system disorders:
| Urinary Care Plans |
|---|
| Acute Glomerulonephritis |
| Acute Renal Failure |
| Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) |
| Chronic Renal Failure |
| Hemodialysis |
| Nephrotic Syndrome |
| Peritoneal Dialysis |
| Urolithiasis (Renal Calculi) |
| Urinary Elimination (Urinary Incontinence & Urinary Retention) |
| Urinary Tract Infection |
| Vesicoureteral Reflux (VUR) |
| Wilms Tumor (Nephroblastoma) |
Recommended Resources
Explore these recommended nursing diagnosis and nursing care plan books and resources to further enhance your knowledge. Consider a nursing care plans e-book for convenient digital access to comprehensive information on nursing diagnosis and intervention.
Disclosure: Affiliate links from Amazon are included below at no extra cost to you. We may earn a small commission from purchases. See our privacy policy for details.
Ackley and Ladwig’s Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: An Evidence-Based Guide to Planning Care This handbook is praised for its evidence-based approach to nursing interventions. It offers a simple, three-step system to guide you through patient assessment, nursing diagnosis, and care plan development. It includes clear instructions on implementing care and evaluating outcomes, helping you sharpen diagnostic reasoning and critical thinking skills.
Evidence-based nursing diagnosis handbook for effective care planning.
Nursing Care Plans – Nursing Diagnosis & Intervention (10th Edition) This resource includes over two hundred care plans reflecting the most current evidence-based guidelines. The latest edition features ICNP diagnoses, care plans on LGBTQ health issues, and electrolytes and acid-base balance. A nursing care plans e-book version offers portability and ease of use.
Nurse’s Pocket Guide: Diagnoses, Prioritized Interventions, and Rationales This quick reference tool provides everything needed for accurate diagnoses and efficient patient care planning. The 16th edition includes the latest nursing diagnoses and interventions, with an alphabetized list covering over 400 disorders.
A portable guide for quick access to nursing diagnoses and interventions.
Nursing Diagnosis Manual: Planning, Individualizing, and Documenting Client Care This manual helps identify interventions to plan, personalize, and document care for over 800 diseases and disorders. It uniquely provides subjective and objective data, sample clinical applications, prioritized actions/interventions with rationales, and a documentation section for each diagnosis. Consider the e-book version for digital accessibility.
All-in-One Nursing Care Planning Resource – E-Book: Medical-Surgical, Pediatric, Maternity, and Psychiatric-Mental Health This comprehensive e-book includes over 100 care plans across medical-surgical, maternity/OB, pediatrics, and psychiatric and mental health nursing. It uses interprofessional “patient problems” to familiarize you with patient communication. The e-book format enhances usability and accessibility.
Comprehensive nursing care planning e-book covering diverse specialties.
