Crafting an effective nursing care plan is a cornerstone of superior patient care. It’s a systematic approach that not only identifies current patient needs but also anticipates potential health risks. For nurses, care plans serve as a vital communication tool, ensuring consistent and coordinated care across healthcare teams, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes. Without meticulous nursing care planning, the quality and consistency of patient care would be significantly compromised.
Nursing care planning is not a static process; it begins upon patient admission and evolves continuously. It’s regularly updated to reflect changes in the patient’s condition and the effectiveness of implemented interventions. This dynamic and patient-centered approach is the bedrock of excellent nursing practice.
Understanding Nursing Care Plans
A nursing care plan (NCP) is essentially a roadmap for patient care. It’s a structured, formal document that outlines a patient’s healthcare needs, the strategies to address those needs, and the methods to evaluate the effectiveness of the care provided. It’s a framework that guides nurses in delivering holistic and individualized care.
Care plans can be categorized as informal or formal. An informal nursing care plan is more of a mental strategy, a quick plan of action a nurse might formulate in their mind. In contrast, a formal nursing care plan is a documented, often computerized, guide that meticulously organizes all aspects of a patient’s care.
Formal care plans are further divided into two main types: standardized and individualized care plans. Standardized care plans are pre-written guides designed for patients with common, recurring needs. Individualized care plans are customized, tailored to meet the unique and specific needs of each patient, particularly those needs not covered by standardized plans.
Standardized vs. Individualized Care Plans
Standardized Care Plans
Standardized care plans are pre-approved, agency-developed guidelines intended to ensure consistent care for patients with specific conditions. They serve as a baseline, ensuring that minimum care standards are met and maximizing efficiency by eliminating the need to repeatedly create plans for common patient needs.
However, standardized care plans are, by nature, generic. They are not designed to address the nuances of each patient’s situation. Therefore, they often serve as a starting point, a template upon which to build a truly individualized care plan.
The care plans available for download in this guide are primarily standardized care plans. They are intended to be used as a foundation, a framework to guide you in developing patient-specific, individualized care plans.
Individualized Care Plans
An individualized care plan takes the standardized plan a step further. It involves adapting and customizing a standardized plan to align with the specific needs, goals, and preferences of an individual patient. This customization ensures that the care is not only effective but also deeply personal and holistic. This approach considers the patient’s unique circumstances, strengths, and desired outcomes.
Moreover, individualized care plans are strongly linked to improved patient satisfaction. When patients feel their care is tailored to their individual needs, they are more likely to feel heard, valued, and respected. This heightened sense of patient satisfaction is increasingly important in modern healthcare, where it is recognized as a critical indicator of quality care.
Key considerations for individualizing a nursing care plan:
- Patient-specific goals: Ensure goals reflect what matters most to the patient.
- Unique needs: Address needs beyond the standard condition-related concerns, such as psychosocial or cultural factors.
- Patient preferences: Incorporate patient preferences regarding treatment options and daily routines.
- Available resources: Consider the resources available to the patient, both within the healthcare setting and at home.
Objectives of Nursing Care Plans
The primary objectives of developing and implementing nursing care plans include:
- Promoting evidence-based care: To ensure nursing practice is guided by the latest research and best practices, creating a safe and predictable care environment.
- Facilitating holistic care: To address the patient as a whole person, considering their physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being in disease management and prevention.
- Establishing structured care programs: To implement pathways and bundles that streamline care delivery, ensuring consistent standards and expected outcomes through team collaboration.
- Clearly defining goals and expected outcomes: To set measurable and achievable targets for patient progress, guiding interventions and evaluating effectiveness.
- Enhancing communication and documentation: To improve clarity and accuracy in care planning documentation, ensuring seamless communication among healthcare providers.
- Measuring nursing care effectiveness: To provide a framework for evaluating the impact of nursing interventions and making necessary adjustments to improve patient outcomes.
Purposes and Importance of Nursing Care Plans
Nursing care plans are essential for several critical reasons:
- Defining the Nurse’s Role: Care plans clearly delineate the distinct and autonomous role of nurses in addressing patients’ overall health and well-being. They emphasize the nurse’s independent contributions beyond simply following physician orders.
- Guiding Individualized Patient Care: They act as a detailed roadmap, directing the nursing care provided and fostering critical thinking in nurses as they tailor interventions to each patient’s specific needs.
- Ensuring Continuity of Care: By providing a documented plan, nurses across different shifts and departments can maintain consistent care quality and interventions, maximizing treatment benefits for patients.
- Coordinating Care Across Teams: Care plans ensure all members of the healthcare team are informed about the patient’s needs and the actions required, preventing gaps and overlaps in care delivery.
- Providing Essential Documentation: They serve as a formal record of planned care, outlining observations, nursing actions, and patient/family instructions. Accurate documentation in the care plan is crucial evidence that care was provided.
- Facilitating Staff Assignment: In situations requiring specific skills, care plans help in assigning appropriately skilled staff to meet complex patient needs effectively.
- Monitoring Patient Progress: They enable nurses to track patient progress systematically and adjust the care plan dynamically in response to changes in health status and goals.
- Supporting Reimbursement Processes: Insurance companies rely on medical records, including care plans, to determine appropriate reimbursement for hospital care.
- Defining Patient-Centered Goals: Care plans actively involve patients in their treatment, promoting a collaborative approach to care and ensuring goals are aligned with patient values and preferences.
Key Components of a Nursing Care Plan
A comprehensive nursing care plan typically includes several core components:
- Nursing Diagnoses: These are clinical judgments about individual, family, or community responses to actual or potential health problems and life processes. They provide the basis for selecting nursing interventions to achieve outcomes for which the nurse is accountable.
- Client Problems: A broader term that may encompass medical diagnoses, patient concerns, or any issue impacting the patient’s health and well-being. Nursing diagnoses are often derived from identified client problems.
- Expected Outcomes: These are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) statements describing the desired changes in patient health status as a result of nursing care.
- Nursing Interventions: These are the actions that nurses will perform to achieve the expected outcomes. They should be evidence-based, patient-specific, and designed to address the identified nursing diagnoses and client problems.
- Rationales: These are the scientific principles or evidence that support the chosen nursing interventions. They explain why a particular intervention is expected to be effective in achieving the desired outcome.
- Evaluation: This component involves assessing the patient’s progress toward achieving the expected outcomes and determining the effectiveness of the nursing care plan. Evaluation is an ongoing process that leads to modifications of the care plan as needed.
Common Nursing Care Plan Formats
Nursing care plans are often organized into structured formats to enhance clarity and ease of use. The most common formats include three-column and four-column plans.
Three-Column Format
The three-column format simplifies the care plan into three essential categories:
- Nursing Diagnosis: Clearly stated nursing diagnoses, often prioritized.
- Outcomes and Evaluation: Desired patient outcomes, along with space to document evaluation of goal achievement.
- Interventions: Specific nursing actions planned to achieve the outcomes.
This format is concise and focuses on the core elements of the care planning process.
Example of a three-column nursing care plan format.
Four-Column Format
The four-column format provides a more detailed structure, commonly used for comprehensive care planning:
- Nursing Diagnosis: Identified and prioritized nursing diagnoses.
- Goals and Outcomes: Specific, measurable goals and expected patient outcomes.
- Interventions: Detailed nursing interventions to achieve goals and outcomes.
- Evaluation: A dedicated column for evaluating the effectiveness of interventions and patient progress towards goals.
This format offers a more granular approach, separating goals and outcomes from the evaluation process.
Example of a four-column nursing care plan template.
Download Printable Templates:
Download: Printable Nursing Care Plan Templates and Formats
This downloadable document provides sample templates for both three-column and four-column nursing care plan formats, which you can easily edit, modify, and use for your practice.
Student Care Plans: A Detailed Approach
Student care plans are typically more in-depth and detailed than those used by practicing nurses. This is because they serve as a critical learning tool for nursing students, helping them develop a thorough understanding of the care planning process.
Student nursing care plans often require more detail and rationale.
Often, student care plans are handwritten and include an additional column for “Rationale” or “Scientific Explanation.” This rationale column requires students to articulate the scientific basis for each nursing intervention, solidifying their understanding of the underlying principles of care.
Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Nursing Care Plan
Creating a comprehensive nursing care plan involves a systematic, step-by-step approach. Follow these steps to develop effective care plans for your patients:
Step 1: Patient Data Collection and Assessment
The initial step in care planning is building a comprehensive patient database. This involves using thorough assessment techniques and data collection methods, including:
- Physical Assessment: A systematic examination of the patient’s body systems.
- Health History: Gathering information about the patient’s past and present health conditions, medications, allergies, and relevant lifestyle factors.
- Patient Interview: Direct communication with the patient to understand their perspective, symptoms, concerns, and goals.
- Medical Records Review: Examining existing medical documentation for relevant clinical information.
- Diagnostic Studies: Reviewing results from laboratory tests, imaging, and other diagnostic procedures.
The patient database compiles all gathered health information. This step is crucial for identifying related or risk factors and defining characteristics that will inform the nursing diagnoses. Many healthcare facilities and nursing schools provide specific assessment formats to guide this process.
Critical thinking is paramount in patient assessment. It requires integrating knowledge from various scientific disciplines and professional guidelines to make informed evaluations. This process is essential for complex clinical decision-making, aiming to effectively identify patient healthcare needs within a supportive and information-rich environment.
Step 2: Data Analysis and Organization
Once patient data is collected, the next step is to analyze, cluster, and organize this information. This involves:
- Identifying patterns and trends: Looking for significant data clusters that point to potential health issues.
- Grouping related data: Organizing data into logical categories to identify potential nursing diagnoses.
- Prioritizing data: Determining which data points are most critical and require immediate attention.
This organized data analysis forms the foundation for formulating nursing diagnoses, setting priorities, and establishing desired outcomes.
Step 3: Formulating Nursing Diagnoses
Nursing diagnoses provide a standardized language for identifying and addressing specific patient needs and responses to health problems. They focus on actual or potential health issues that nurses can independently prevent or resolve through nursing interventions.
For a detailed guide on formulating nursing diagnoses, refer to resources such as: Nursing Diagnosis (NDx): Complete Guide and List. This guide offers comprehensive information and examples to assist in accurate diagnosis formulation.
Step 4: Setting Priorities for Nursing Diagnoses
Setting priorities involves ranking nursing diagnoses and interventions in order of importance. This step requires collaboration between the nurse and patient to determine which problems require immediate attention. Diagnoses are often categorized as high, medium, or low priority. Life-threatening problems always take the highest priority.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs provides a valuable framework for prioritizing nursing diagnoses. This theory, developed by Abraham Maslow, organizes human needs into a hierarchical pyramid, starting with basic physiological needs at the base and progressing to self-actualization at the peak.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:
- Basic Physiological Needs: These are the most fundamental needs for survival, including:
- Nutrition: Water and food intake.
- Elimination: Waste removal (toileting).
- Airway, Breathing, Circulation (ABCs): Ensuring a patent airway, adequate breathing, and effective circulation (including suctioning, oxygen administration, monitoring pulse, cardiac function, and blood pressure).
- Sleep: Rest and restorative sleep.
- Sex: Reproductive needs.
- Shelter: Protection from the elements.
- Exercise: Physical activity.
- Safety and Security Needs: Once physiological needs are met, safety and security become priorities:
- Injury Prevention: Measures to prevent harm (side rails, call lights, hand hygiene, isolation protocols, suicide precautions, fall prevention, car seats, helmets, seat belts).
- Fostering Trust and Safety: Building a therapeutic relationship and creating a safe environment.
- Patient Education: Educating patients about modifiable risk factors (e.g., for stroke, heart disease).
- Love and Belonging Needs: Social connection and belonging are crucial for well-being:
- Supportive Relationships: Fostering positive relationships with family, friends, and healthcare providers.
- Combating Social Isolation: Strategies to prevent loneliness and isolation (addressing bullying).
- Therapeutic Communication: Employing active listening and effective communication techniques.
- Sexual Intimacy: Addressing needs for intimacy and connection.
- Self-Esteem Needs: Feeling valued and competent:
- Community Acceptance: Feeling accepted and valued within one’s community.
- Workforce Participation: Meaningful employment and contribution.
- Personal Achievement: Recognizing and celebrating personal accomplishments.
- Sense of Control/Empowerment: Feeling in control of one’s life and decisions.
- Body Image Acceptance: Accepting and valuing one’s physical appearance.
- Self-Actualization Needs: Reaching one’s full potential:
- Empowering Environment: Creating opportunities for growth and development.
- Spiritual Growth: Exploring and nurturing one’s spiritual needs.
- Perspective-Taking: Developing the ability to understand and appreciate different viewpoints.
- Maximizing Potential: Striving to achieve one’s highest capabilities.
Virginia Henderson’s 14 Needs applied to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs provides a comprehensive framework for patient care. Learn more about Virginia Henderson’s Need Theory here.
Patient values, beliefs, available resources, and the urgency of the health issue are all important factors to consider when setting priorities. Actively involving the patient in this process enhances their cooperation and commitment to the care plan.
Step 5: Establishing Client Goals and Desired Outcomes
After prioritizing nursing diagnoses, the next step is to set goals and desired outcomes for each priority. Goals describe what the nurse aims to achieve through nursing interventions. They provide direction for planning interventions, serve as benchmarks for evaluating patient progress, and motivate both the patient and nurse by providing a sense of accomplishment.
Examples of well-written goals and desired outcomes in a nursing care plan.
For each nursing diagnosis, an overarching goal is established. The terms “goal outcomes” and “expected outcomes” are often used interchangeably.
Effective goals should be SMART, an acronym that stands for:
- Specific: Goals should be clear, precise, and easily understood.
- Measurable: Progress towards goals should be quantifiable and observable.
- Attainable: Goals should be realistic and achievable given the patient’s circumstances and resources.
- Relevant: Goals should be meaningful and align with the patient’s overall health needs and values.
- Time-bound: Goals should have a defined timeframe for achievement.
Additionally, the REEPIG standards ensure high-quality care plans:
- Realistic: Feasible given available resources and patient limitations.
- Explicitly Stated: Clearly and unambiguously defined to avoid misinterpretation.
- Evidence-Based: Supported by research and best practices.
- Prioritized: Addressing the most urgent needs first.
- Involve: Collaborative, involving the patient and multidisciplinary team.
- Goal-Centered: Focused on achieving the established patient goals.
Short-Term and Long-Term Goals
Goals and expected outcomes must be measurable and patient-centered. They should focus on problem prevention, resolution, and rehabilitation. Goals are categorized as short-term or long-term:
- Short-term goals: Achievable within a short period, typically hours or days, often focusing on immediate needs in acute care settings.
- Long-term goals: Achievable over a longer duration, weeks or months, often relevant for patients with chronic conditions or those in long-term care facilities.
- Discharge planning: Primarily involves setting long-term goals to ensure continued care and problem resolution after hospital discharge, often through home health services or referrals.
Components of Well-Formed Goals and Desired Outcomes
Goal statements typically include four key components:
Understanding the components of goals and desired outcomes is crucial for effective care planning.
- Subject: The patient, a part of the patient, or a patient attribute (e.g., pulse rate, body temperature, urinary output). Often implied as “the client” unless specified otherwise (e.g., family, significant other).
- Verb: Describes the action the patient is expected to perform, learn, or experience.
- Conditions or Modifiers: Clarify “what, when, where, or how” the behavior is to be performed, providing context.
- Criterion of Desired Performance: Defines the standard for evaluating performance or the level at which the patient will demonstrate the specified behavior (optional but enhances measurability).
Tips for Writing Effective Goals and Desired Outcomes:
- Frame goals in terms of patient responses, not nursing activities. Start each goal with “Client will […]” to maintain patient-centered focus.
- Focus on what the patient will do, not what the nurse hopes to accomplish.
- Use observable, measurable terms for outcomes, avoiding vague language that requires subjective interpretation.
- Ensure desired outcomes are realistic considering patient resources, capabilities, limitations, and the care timeframe.
- Verify that goals are compatible with other healthcare professionals’ therapies.
- Link each goal to a single nursing diagnosis to facilitate clear evaluation of care effectiveness.
- Confirm that goals are important and valued by the patient to ensure their active participation and cooperation.
Step 6: Selecting Nursing Interventions
Nursing interventions are the specific actions a nurse will take to help the patient achieve the established goals. Interventions should aim to eliminate or reduce the underlying cause of the priority nursing problem or diagnosis. For risk diagnoses, interventions should focus on minimizing risk factors. Nursing interventions are identified and documented during the planning phase but are actually carried out during the implementation phase of the nursing process.
Types of Nursing Interventions
Nursing interventions can be categorized as independent, dependent, or collaborative:
Understanding the different types of nursing interventions is key to comprehensive care planning.
- Independent Nursing Interventions: Actions nurses are licensed to initiate based on their professional judgment and skills. These include:
- Ongoing patient assessment.
- Emotional support and counseling.
- Providing comfort measures.
- Patient education and health teaching.
- Physical care and assistance with activities of daily living.
- Referrals to other healthcare professionals and community resources.
- Dependent Nursing Interventions: Actions carried out under the orders or supervision of a physician or other authorized healthcare provider. These include:
- Medication administration.
- Intravenous therapy.
- Diagnostic tests and procedures.
- Medical treatments.
- Dietary orders.
- Activity or rest orders.
- Assessment and explanation related to medical orders are also dependent interventions.
- Collaborative Interventions: Actions implemented in partnership with other healthcare team members, such as physicians, social workers, dietitians, and therapists. These are developed through consultation and aim to integrate diverse professional perspectives into patient care.
Effective nursing interventions should be:
- Safe and appropriate for the patient’s age, health status, and condition.
- Achievable given available resources, time constraints, and patient capabilities.
- Aligned with patient values, culture, and beliefs.
- Consistent with other planned therapies.
- Based on nursing knowledge, experience, and relevant scientific evidence.
Tips for Writing Clear and Effective Nursing Interventions:
- Date and sign the care plan to indicate accountability and provide a timeframe for review and evaluation.
- Interventions should be specific and clearly stated, starting with an action verb that precisely describes what the nurse is to do. Include qualifiers specifying how, when, where, for how long, and how often the intervention should be performed.
- Examples: “Educate parents on how to accurately take their child’s temperature and when to notify the healthcare provider of changes.” or “Assess urine characteristics, including color, amount, odor, and turbidity, every shift.”
- Use only standard abbreviations approved by the healthcare institution to ensure clarity and avoid errors.
Step 7: Providing Rationales for Interventions
Rationales, also known as scientific explanations, justify why each nursing intervention was selected. They articulate the scientific principles, evidence, or clinical guidelines that support the intervention’s effectiveness in achieving the desired patient outcome.
Rationales provide the scientific basis for nursing interventions, enhancing understanding and accountability.
Rationales are particularly important in student care plans as they encourage students to connect pathophysiological and psychological principles to nursing actions. While not always included in routine care plans used by practicing nurses, rationales are crucial for the learning process and for demonstrating evidence-based practice.
Step 8: Evaluation of the Nursing Care Plan
Evaluation is a continuous, planned, and purposeful process. It involves:
- Assessing patient progress towards achieving the established goals and desired outcomes.
- Determining the effectiveness of the implemented nursing care plan and interventions.
- Making judgments about whether the care plan is achieving the intended outcomes.
Evaluation is a critical component of the nursing process. The conclusions drawn from the evaluation step determine whether to:
- Terminate the intervention if the goal has been achieved.
- Continue the intervention if progress is being made but the goal is not yet fully met.
- Modify the intervention or the entire care plan if progress is unsatisfactory or if the patient’s condition changes.
Step 9: Documenting the Nursing Care Plan
The final step is to document the patient’s care plan according to the policies of the healthcare facility. The care plan becomes a permanent part of the patient’s medical record, ensuring continuity of care and providing a reference for all healthcare providers involved.
Nursing programs and healthcare facilities often have specific formats for documenting care plans. Most formats are designed to guide nurses systematically through the interrelated steps of the nursing process, often using a structured format like the five-column plan (which includes assessment cues in addition to the four columns described earlier).
Downloadable Nursing Care Plan Examples
This section provides a comprehensive list of sample nursing care plans (NCPs) and nursing diagnoses for a wide range of diseases and health conditions. These are categorized for easy navigation:
Basic Nursing and General Care Plans
General nursing care plans 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 specific to surgical interventions and perioperative care:
| 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 cardiovascular system disorders:
| 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 for endocrine and metabolic disorders:
| 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
Care plans for disorders of the gastrointestinal 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
Care plans for hematologic and lymphatic system disorders:
| 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 Care Plans
Care plans 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
Care plans for disorders 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
Care plans for maternity, obstetric, and newborn 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
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
Care plans for musculoskeletal system disorders:
| 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 Care Plans
Care plans for nervous system disorders:
| 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
Care plans for eye disorders:
| Ophthalmic Care Plans |
|---|
| Cataracts |
| Glaucoma |
| Macular Degeneration |
Pediatric Nursing Care Plans
Care plans 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
Care plans for reproductive and sexual function disorders:
| Reproductive Care Plans |
|---|
| Cryptorchidism (Undescended Testes) |
| Hysterectomy |
| Hypospadias and Epispadias |
| Mastectomy |
| Menopause |
| Prostatectomy |
Respiratory Care Plans
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
Care plans for 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 for Nursing Care Plans
To further enhance your knowledge and skills in nursing care planning, consider these highly recommended resources:
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Ackley and Ladwig’s Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: An Evidence-Based Guide to Planning Care
This handbook is praised for its evidence-based approach, guiding you through assessment, nursing diagnosis, and care planning using a clear three-step system. It includes detailed instructions on implementing care and evaluating outcomes, enhancing diagnostic reasoning and critical thinking skills.
Nursing Care Plans – Nursing Diagnosis & Intervention (10th Edition)
This comprehensive resource features over 200 care plans based on the latest evidence-based guidelines. The 10th edition includes new sections on ICNP diagnoses, LGBTQ health issues, and electrolyte and acid-base balance.
Nurse’s Pocket Guide: Diagnoses, Prioritized Interventions, and Rationales
A quick and efficient reference tool for accurate diagnoses and patient care planning. The 16th edition includes the most recent nursing diagnoses and interventions, alphabetized for easy access, covering over 400 disorders.
Nursing Diagnosis Manual: Planning, Individualizing, and Documenting Client Care
This manual helps in planning, individualizing, and documenting care for over 800 diseases and disorders. For each diagnosis, it offers subjective and objective data, clinical applications, prioritized interventions with rationales, and documentation guidance.
This e-book includes over 100 care plans across medical-surgical, maternity, pediatrics, and psychiatric-mental health nursing. It emphasizes interprofessional “patient problems” to enhance patient communication and collaborative care.
References and Sources
List of references and sources would be placed here if needed, based on the sources used for content enhancement or factual updates.
