What is a Nursing Care Plan?
A nursing care plan (NCP) is a structured, formal process that nurses use to identify a patient’s existing health needs, as well as potential needs or risks. It serves as a crucial communication tool among nurses, patients, and other healthcare providers, ensuring everyone is aligned in achieving the best possible healthcare outcomes. Without a well-defined nursing care plan, the consistency and quality of patient care can be significantly compromised.
The nursing care planning process begins as soon as a patient is admitted and is continuously updated as the patient’s condition changes and as goals are evaluated. Providing individualized, patient-centered care is the cornerstone of excellent nursing practice. Nursing Diagnosis Care Plan Examples play a vital role in this process, helping nurses to formulate effective and targeted care plans.
Types of Nursing Care Plans
Nursing care plans can be broadly classified into informal and formal types:
- An informal nursing care plan is essentially a mental strategy, a course of action that a nurse develops in their mind.
- A formal nursing care plan is a documented guide, either written or computerized, that organizes all the necessary information for a patient’s care.
Formal care plans are further categorized into standardized and individualized care plans:
- Standardized care plans are pre-written plans that outline the nursing care for groups of patients with common needs.
- Individualized care plans are customized to address a specific patient’s unique needs, particularly those not covered by standardized plans. Nursing diagnosis care plan examples are particularly helpful in developing these individualized plans, ensuring they are tailored to the patient’s specific situation.
Standardized Care Plans
Standardized care plans are developed by nursing staff and healthcare organizations to ensure consistent care for patients with specific conditions. They establish a baseline of acceptable care and improve efficiency by eliminating the need to repeatedly create plans for common patient needs.
However, standardized care plans are not designed to meet individual patient needs and goals. They serve as a starting point that can be adapted to create an individualized care plan. Understanding nursing diagnosis care plan examples within standardized plans can guide nurses in creating more personalized approaches.
The care plans discussed in this guide are primarily standard care plans, which can be used as a framework for developing individualized care plans.
Individualized Care Plans
An individualized care plan involves adapting a standardized care plan to meet the unique needs and goals of each patient, using approaches that have proven effective for that specific individual. This method allows for more personalized and holistic care, better suited to the patient’s strengths, needs, and objectives. Nursing diagnosis care plan examples are essential when creating individualized plans, as they demonstrate how to tailor interventions to specific patient diagnoses.
Individualized care plans can also significantly improve patient satisfaction. When patients perceive their care as tailored to their specific needs, they feel more valued and understood, leading to higher satisfaction. This is especially crucial in today’s healthcare environment, where patient satisfaction is increasingly used as a measure of quality.
Tips on how to individualize a nursing care plan: (This section from the original article is concise and helpful and can be kept as is, or expanded with specific examples later if length allows and it adds value).
Objectives
The primary objectives of creating a nursing care plan are to:
- Promote evidence-based nursing care and create a comfortable and familiar environment in healthcare settings.
- Support holistic care, addressing the patient’s physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs in disease management and prevention.
- Establish structured care programs like care pathways and care bundles, fostering team consensus on care standards and best practices for specific conditions.
- Clearly define goals and expected patient outcomes.
- Enhance communication and documentation of the care plan.
- Provide a framework for measuring the effectiveness of nursing care.
Purposes of a Nursing Care Plan
Nursing care plans are essential for several key reasons:
- Defines nurse’s role. Care plans clarify the distinct and independent role of nurses in addressing patients’ overall health and well-being, beyond simply following physician’s orders.
- Provides direction for individualized care of the client. It acts as a roadmap for patient care, encouraging nurses to think critically and develop interventions tailored to each individual. Nursing diagnosis care plan examples illustrate how to create these tailored interventions.
- Continuity of care. Care plans ensure consistent, high-quality care across different nursing shifts and departments, maximizing the benefits of treatment for patients.
- Coordinate care. They ensure all members of the healthcare team are aware of the patient’s needs and the necessary actions, preventing gaps in care.
- Documentation. Care plans accurately document observations, nursing actions, and patient/family instructions. Proper documentation in the care plan is crucial evidence that care was provided.
- Serves as a guide for assigning a specific staff to a specific client. In cases where patients require specialized skills, care plans help in assigning appropriate staff.
- Monitor progress. Care plans facilitate tracking patient progress and making necessary adjustments as health status and goals evolve.
- Serves as a guide for reimbursement. Insurance companies use medical records, including care plans, to determine coverage for hospital care.
- Defines client’s goals. They involve patients in their treatment and care, benefiting both nurses and patients.
Components
A typical nursing care plan (NCP) includes several key components: nursing diagnoses, patient problems, expected outcomes, nursing interventions, and rationales. Nursing diagnosis care plan examples often highlight these components to illustrate how they work together.
Care Plan Formats
Nursing care plans are commonly organized into formats with three, four, or five columns, each structuring the information in a slightly different way.
Three-Column Format
This format includes columns for nursing diagnosis, outcomes and evaluation, and interventions.
Three-column nursing care plan format
Four-Column Format
This format includes columns for nursing diagnosis, goals and outcomes, interventions, and evaluation.
Four-column nursing care plan template
Below are sample templates for different nursing care plan formats.
Download: Printable Nursing Care Plan Templates and Formats
Student Care Plans
Student care plans are more detailed than those used by practicing nurses as they serve as a learning tool.
Student nursing care plans are more detailed.
Student care plans are often handwritten and include an additional column for “Rationale” or “Scientific Explanation,” detailing the scientific basis for each intervention.
Writing a Nursing Care Plan
Creating an effective nursing care plan involves a systematic approach. Nursing diagnosis care plan examples can be particularly helpful to guide you through this process. Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Data Collection or Assessment
The initial step is to gather comprehensive patient information using various assessment techniques and data collection methods. This includes physical assessments, health history reviews, interviews, medical record reviews, and diagnostic studies. This comprehensive client database forms the foundation of the care plan. It helps in identifying related or risk factors and defining characteristics necessary for formulating accurate nursing diagnoses. Many institutions and nursing schools provide specific assessment formats to guide this process.
Critical thinking is essential during patient assessment. It involves integrating knowledge from various scientific disciplines and professional guidelines to inform evaluations. This process is crucial for complex clinical decision-making and aims to effectively identify patients’ healthcare needs within a supportive environment and with reliable information.
Step 2: Data Analysis and Organization
Once data is collected, the next step is to analyze, cluster, and organize this information. This analysis leads to the formulation of nursing diagnoses, prioritization of needs, and setting desired outcomes. Nursing diagnosis care plan examples demonstrate how analyzed data translates into specific diagnoses.
Step 3: Formulating Your Nursing Diagnoses
Nursing diagnoses are standardized statements that identify specific patient needs and responses to actual or potential health problems that nurses can independently address. They provide a uniform language for focusing on and managing these needs.
For a detailed guide on formulating nursing diagnoses, refer to: Nursing Diagnosis (NDx): Complete Guide and List. Reviewing nursing diagnosis care plan examples will further clarify how to apply these diagnoses in practice.
Step 4: Setting Priorities
Prioritizing involves ranking nursing diagnoses and interventions in order of importance. The nurse and patient collaboratively decide which problems require immediate attention. Prioritization can be categorized as high, medium, or low, with life-threatening issues taking the highest priority.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a useful framework for setting priorities. Developed by Abraham Maslow in 1943, this hierarchy prioritizes basic physiological needs before higher-level needs like self-esteem and self-actualization. Physiological and safety needs form the base of this hierarchy and are fundamental in nursing care planning.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
- Basic Physiological Needs: These include essential needs like nutrition (food and water), elimination, airway, breathing, circulation (ABCs), sleep, sex, shelter, and exercise.
- Safety and Security: This level focuses on injury prevention (using side rails, call lights, hand hygiene, isolation, suicide precautions, fall precautions, car seats, helmets, seat belts), fostering trust and safety through therapeutic relationships, and patient education on modifiable risk factors for conditions like stroke and heart disease.
- Love and Belonging: Meeting needs at this level involves fostering supportive relationships, preventing social isolation, using active listening and therapeutic communication, and addressing intimacy needs.
- Self-Esteem: This includes fostering acceptance within the community and workplace, recognizing personal achievements, promoting a sense of control and empowerment, and acceptance of one’s physical appearance.
- Self-Actualization: This highest level involves creating an empowering environment, encouraging spiritual growth, developing the ability to see others’ perspectives, and helping individuals reach their full potential.
Virginia Henderson’s 14 Needs as applied to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Learn more about it here.
Patient values, beliefs, available resources, and urgency are crucial factors in setting priorities. Patient involvement in this process enhances cooperation and adherence to the care plan. Nursing diagnosis care plan examples often demonstrate how priorities are set based on patient needs and Maslow’s hierarchy.
Step 5: Establishing Client Goals and Desired Outcomes
After prioritizing nursing diagnoses, the nurse and patient collaborate to set goals for each priority. Goals or desired outcomes describe the intended results of nursing interventions. They 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 goals and desired outcomes. Notice how they’re formatted and written.
One overarching goal is usually set for each nursing diagnosis. The terms “goal outcomes” and “expected outcomes” are often used interchangeably.
Effective goals should be SMART, an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-oriented.
- Specific: Goals should be clear, significant, and well-defined.
- Measurable: Progress should be easily tracked and the achievement of the goal readily identifiable.
- Attainable: Goals should be challenging yet achievable and feasible for the patient.
- Realistic: Goals must be relevant to the patient’s situation and consider available resources.
- Time-Oriented: Each goal should have a defined timeframe for achievement.
The REEPIG standards further enhance care quality, ensuring nursing care plans are Realistic, Explicitly stated, Evidence-based, Prioritized, Involve the patient and multidisciplinary team, and Goal-centered.
Short-Term and Long-Term Goals
Goals and expected outcomes must be measurable and patient-centered, focusing on problem prevention, resolution, and rehabilitation. Goals can be short-term or long-term. Short-term goals are common in acute care settings, addressing immediate needs, while long-term goals are more relevant for chronic conditions or patients in long-term care facilities.
- Short-term goal: Achievable within hours or days, indicating immediate behavioral changes.
- Long-term goal: Achievable over weeks or months, focusing on sustained improvement.
- Discharge planning: Involves setting long-term goals to ensure continued restorative care at home or through referrals.
Components of Goals and Desired Outcomes
Goal statements typically include four components: a subject, a verb, conditions or modifiers, and a criterion of desired performance. Nursing diagnosis care plan examples illustrate these components in action.
Components of goals and desired outcomes in a nursing care plan.
- Subject: Usually the patient, or a specific aspect of the patient (e.g., pulse rate, temperature, urinary output). Often implied as the patient unless specified otherwise.
- Verb: Specifies the action the patient is expected to perform, learn, or experience.
- Conditions or modifiers: Detail the circumstances under which the behavior should occur (what, when, where, how).
- Criterion of desired performance: Defines the standard for evaluating performance or the level at which the patient should perform the behavior (optional but highly recommended for measurability).
Tips for writing effective goals and desired outcomes:
- Frame goals in terms of patient responses, not nursing activities. Start with “Client will […]” to focus on patient behavior.
- Focus on what the patient will achieve, not what the nurse hopes to do.
- Use observable and measurable terms. Avoid vague language requiring subjective interpretation.
- Ensure outcomes are realistic given the patient’s resources, abilities, limitations, and the timeframe of care.
- Ensure goals are compatible with other therapies.
- Each goal should address only one nursing diagnosis to facilitate clear evaluation.
- Involve the patient in goal setting to ensure they are valued and important to the patient, promoting cooperation.
Step 6: Selecting Nursing Interventions
Nursing interventions are the specific actions nurses take to help patients achieve their goals. Interventions should aim to eliminate or reduce the causes of the nursing diagnosis. For risk diagnoses, interventions should focus on reducing risk factors. While identified in the planning phase, interventions are implemented during the implementation phase of the nursing process. Nursing diagnosis care plan examples clearly show the link between diagnoses and appropriate interventions.
Types of Nursing Interventions
Nursing interventions can be independent, dependent, or collaborative.
Types of nursing interventions in a care plan.
- Independent nursing interventions are actions nurses are licensed to initiate based on their professional judgment and skills. These include ongoing assessments, emotional support, comfort measures, education, physical care, and referrals.
- Dependent nursing interventions are carried out under physician’s orders or supervision. These include administering medications, IV therapy, diagnostic tests, treatments, and managing diet and activity levels. Nurses also assess patients and provide explanations when carrying out dependent interventions.
- Collaborative interventions are actions carried out in coordination with other healthcare team members like physicians, social workers, dietitians, and therapists. These are developed through consultation to incorporate diverse professional perspectives.
Effective nursing interventions should be:
- Safe and appropriate for the patient’s age, health, and condition.
- Achievable with available resources and time.
- Aligned with the patient’s values, culture, and beliefs.
- Consistent with other planned therapies.
- Based on nursing knowledge, experience, and relevant scientific principles.
Tips for writing nursing interventions:
- Date and sign the care plan for accountability and to facilitate future reviews and evaluations.
- Interventions should be specific, clear, and begin with an action verb describing what the nurse will do. Include qualifiers like how, when, where, time, frequency, and amount for clarity. For example: “Educate parents on how to take temperature and report changes,” or “Assess urine for color, amount, odor, and turbidity every shift.”
- Use only institution-approved abbreviations.
Step 7: Providing Rationale
Rationales, or scientific explanations, justify the selection of each nursing intervention.
Sample nursing interventions and rationale for a care plan (NCP)
Rationales are typically included in student care plans to help them link pathophysiological and psychological principles to nursing interventions. They are less common in care plans used by practicing nurses. Nursing diagnosis care plan examples for students often include rationales to enhance learning.
Step 8: Evaluation
Evaluation is an ongoing, planned activity to assess the patient’s progress toward goals and the effectiveness of the nursing care plan. It’s a critical part of the nursing process as it determines whether interventions should continue, be modified, or be discontinued.
Step 9: Putting it on Paper
The documented care plan becomes part of the patient’s permanent medical record, accessible to all healthcare providers. Care plan formats vary by institution and nursing program, but most follow the steps of the nursing process, often using a multi-column format.
Nursing Care Plan List
This section provides a list of sample nursing care plans (NCP) and nursing diagnoses for various health conditions, categorized for easy navigation. These lists serve as excellent nursing diagnosis care plan examples, demonstrating the breadth of conditions covered by nursing care plans.
(The lists of care plans from the original article should be included here, maintaining the categories: Basic Nursing and General Care Plans, Surgery and Perioperative Care Plans, Cardiac Care Plans, etc. These lists themselves are examples of areas where nursing diagnoses and care plans are essential.)
Basic Nursing & General Care Plans
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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
| Acid-Base Imbalances |
|---|
| Metabolic Acidosis |
| Metabolic Alkalosis |
| Respiratory Acidosis |
| Respiratory Alkalosis |
Electrolyte Imbalances
| 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
| 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 & Lymphatic Care Plans
| 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
| 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
| Integumentary Care Plans |
|---|
| Burn Injury |
| Dermatitis |
| Herpes Zoster (Shingles) |
| Pressure Ulcer (Bedsores) |
| Wound Care and Skin/Tissue Integrity |
Maternal and Newborn Care Plans
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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
| Ophthalmic Care Plans |
|---|
| Cataracts |
| Glaucoma |
| Macular Degeneration |
Pediatric Nursing Care Plans
| 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
| Reproductive Care Plans |
|---|
| Cryptorchidism (Undescended Testes) |
| Hysterectomy |
| Hypospadias and Epispadias |
| Mastectomy |
| Menopause |
| Prostatectomy |
Respiratory Care Plans
| 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
| 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
Enhance your understanding and skills in nursing care planning with these recommended resources.
Disclosure: Affiliate links from Amazon are included below at no extra cost to you. We may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links. For more details, see our privacy policy.
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 for client assessment, nursing diagnosis, and care planning. It includes clear instructions on implementing care and evaluating outcomes, helping you develop critical thinking and diagnostic reasoning skills.
Nursing Care Plans – Nursing Diagnosis & Intervention (10th Edition)
This resource features over 200 care plans based on the latest evidence-based guidelines, including new ICNP diagnoses and care plans addressing LGBTQ health issues, electrolyte imbalances, and acid-base balance.
Nurse’s Pocket Guide: Diagnoses, Prioritized Interventions, and Rationales
A quick and essential reference tool for identifying correct diagnoses and planning efficient patient care. The 16th edition includes the most current nursing diagnoses and interventions, with an alphabetized list of diagnoses covering over 400 conditions.
Nursing Diagnosis Manual: Planning, Individualizing, and Documenting Client Care
This manual assists in planning, individualizing, and documenting care for over 800 diseases and disorders. It uniquely provides subjective and objective data for each diagnosis, sample clinical applications, prioritized actions/interventions with rationales, and documentation guidelines.
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 for medical-surgical, maternity/OB, pediatric, and psychiatric and mental health nursing, focusing on interprofessional “patient problems” to improve patient communication.
References and Sources
(Keep the original references and sources if applicable. If new sources were used, add them here.)
