Crafting effective nursing care plans is a cornerstone of quality patient care. This guide provides a comprehensive understanding of how to develop and utilize nursing care plans, with a specific focus on nursing diagnoses and interventions. Whether you are a student nurse or a seasoned professional, mastering the art of care planning is essential for delivering patient-centered and evidence-based care. This resource will walk you through the process, offering insights into the components, objectives, and practical application of nursing care plans to enhance patient outcomes.
Understanding Nursing Care Plans
A nursing care plan (NCP) is a structured framework used by nurses to identify patient needs, potential risks, and outline a tailored approach to care. It serves as a vital communication tool among healthcare providers, ensuring consistent and coordinated care delivery. The primary goal of a nursing care plan is to achieve optimal patient health outcomes by proactively addressing identified needs and potential problems. Without a well-defined care plan, the consistency and quality of patient care can be significantly compromised.
The process of developing a nursing care plan begins upon patient admission and is a dynamic, ongoing process. It is continuously updated in response to changes in the patient’s condition and the evaluation of progress towards established goals. This individualized approach to care planning is fundamental to excellence in nursing practice, ensuring that each patient receives the specific attention and interventions they require.
Types of Nursing Care Plans: Standardized vs. Individualized
Nursing care plans can be broadly classified into two categories: informal and formal. An informal nursing care plan is an unwritten strategy that a nurse mentally formulates. In contrast, a formal nursing care plan is documented, either in writing or electronically, providing a structured guide for patient care.
Formal care plans are further divided into standardized and individualized plans. Standardized care plans are pre-designed guides that outline nursing care for patients with common needs or conditions. Individualized care plans, on the other hand, are customized to address the unique needs of a specific patient, particularly those needs not covered by standardized plans.
Standardized Care Plans: Ensuring Consistent Care
Standardized care plans are developed by nursing staff and healthcare organizations to ensure that patients with similar conditions receive a consistent level of care. They establish a baseline for acceptable care standards and improve efficiency by eliminating the need to create common interventions repeatedly for multiple patients within a nursing unit.
While standardized care plans offer a valuable starting point, they are not designed to address the specific needs and goals of each patient. They serve as a foundation upon which individualized care plans can be built.
The care plans discussed in this guide are standardized care plans, intended to provide a framework for developing individualized plans.
Individualized Care Plans: Tailoring Care to Patient Needs
An individualized care plan is created by adapting a standardized care plan to meet the specific requirements and goals of an individual patient. This involves selecting interventions known to be effective for that particular patient and their unique circumstances. This approach fosters more personalized and holistic care, aligning with the patient’s individual strengths, needs, and goals.
Furthermore, individualized care plans can significantly enhance patient satisfaction. When patients perceive that their care is tailored to their specific needs, they are more likely to feel valued and understood, leading to greater satisfaction with their overall healthcare experience. In today’s healthcare environment, where patient satisfaction is a key indicator of quality, individualized care planning is increasingly important.
Tips for Individualizing Nursing Care Plans:
- Thorough Assessment: Conduct a comprehensive assessment to identify the patient’s unique physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs.
- Patient Involvement: Actively involve the patient and their family in the care planning process to understand their preferences and goals.
- Flexibility: Be prepared to modify the standardized plan based on the patient’s evolving condition and responses to interventions.
- Evidence-Based Interventions: Select nursing interventions that are supported by research and best practices for the patient’s specific needs.
- Realistic Goals: Set achievable and realistic goals in collaboration with the patient, considering their current health status and prognosis.
Objectives of Nursing Care Plans
The primary objectives of developing nursing care plans are multifaceted and aim to improve both the quality and efficiency of patient care:
- Promote Evidence-Based Care: To ensure nursing care is grounded in the best available evidence and creates a comfortable and familiar environment within healthcare settings.
- Support Holistic Care: To address the patient as a whole person, considering their physical, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions in the management and prevention of illness.
- Establish Care Pathways and Bundles: To develop structured approaches to care, such as care pathways (team consensus on care standards and outcomes) and care bundles (best practices for specific conditions).
- Define Goals and Expected Outcomes: To clearly identify and differentiate between broad goals and specific, measurable expected outcomes for patient care.
- Enhance Communication and Documentation: To improve communication among the healthcare team and provide a clear record of the planned and delivered care.
- Measure Nursing Care Effectiveness: To provide a framework for evaluating the impact and effectiveness of nursing interventions.
Purposes and Importance of Nursing Care Plans
Nursing care plans serve several critical purposes that underscore their importance in modern healthcare:
- Defines the Nurse’s Role: Care plans clarify the unique and independent role of nurses in addressing patients’ overall health and well-being, beyond simply following physician orders.
- Provides Direction for Individualized Care: They act as a roadmap for patient care, guiding nurses in critical thinking to develop interventions specifically tailored to each patient’s needs.
- Ensures Continuity of Care: By documenting the care plan, nurses across different shifts and departments can provide consistent, high-quality interventions, maximizing the benefits of treatment for patients.
- Coordinates Care: Care plans ensure that all members of the healthcare team are informed about the patient’s needs and the necessary actions, preventing gaps in care and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Documentation and Accountability: Care plans serve as documentation of planned care, outlining observations, nursing actions, and patient/family instructions. Accurate documentation in the care plan provides evidence that care was provided.
- Guides Staff Assignment: In situations where patients require specialized skills, care plans assist in assigning appropriate staff members with the necessary expertise.
- Monitors Patient Progress: They facilitate the tracking of patient progress and enable necessary adjustments to the care plan as the patient’s condition and goals evolve.
- Supports Reimbursement: Insurance companies often utilize medical records, including care plans, to determine reimbursement for hospital care.
- Defines Patient Goals and Engagement: Care plans benefit both nurses and patients by actively involving patients in their treatment and care decisions.
Key Components of a Nursing Care Plan
A typical nursing care plan (NCP) includes several essential components, most notably nursing diagnoses, patient problems, expected outcomes, nursing interventions, and rationales. Understanding these components is crucial for developing comprehensive and effective care plans.
Care Plan Formats: Organizing Patient Information
Nursing care plan formats are generally structured using columns to organize information logically. Common formats include three-column and four-column plans. Some agencies may also use five-column plans that incorporate assessment cues.
Three-Column Format: Concise and Efficient
The three-column format includes columns for:
- Nursing Diagnosis: Identifies the patient’s health problem based on assessment data.
- Outcomes and Evaluation: States the desired patient outcomes and provides space for evaluating goal achievement.
- Interventions: Lists the nursing actions to be implemented to achieve the desired outcomes.
Three-column nursing care plan format
Four-Column Format: Detailed and Comprehensive
The four-column format expands on the three-column format by separating outcomes and evaluation into distinct columns:
- Nursing Diagnosis: Clearly states the identified nursing diagnosis.
- Goals and Outcomes: Specifies both broad goals and measurable outcomes for patient care.
- Interventions: Details the specific nursing interventions to be implemented.
- Evaluation: Provides a dedicated column for documenting the evaluation of goal achievement.
Four-column nursing care plan template
Sample templates for various nursing care plan formats are available for download and customization:
Download: Printable Nursing Care Plan Templates and Formats
Student Care Plans: Enhanced Learning and Detail
Student care plans are typically more extensive and detailed than those used by practicing nurses. This is because they serve as a learning tool for nursing students, helping them develop critical thinking and care planning skills.
Student nursing care plans are more detailed.
Often, student care plans are handwritten and include an additional column for “Rationale” or “Scientific Explanation” following the nursing interventions column. Rationales are scientific principles that justify the selection of specific nursing interventions, reinforcing the evidence-based approach to care.
Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Nursing Care Plan
Creating a robust nursing care plan involves a systematic, step-by-step approach. Here is a detailed guide to help you develop effective care plans for your patients:
Step 1: Data Collection and Patient Assessment
The initial step in care plan development is creating a comprehensive patient database. This involves utilizing various assessment techniques and data collection methods, including:
- Physical Assessment: Conducting a thorough physical assessment to gather objective data about the patient’s current health status.
- Health History: Obtaining a detailed health history to understand the patient’s past medical conditions, treatments, and relevant lifestyle factors.
- Patient Interview: Interviewing the patient to gather subjective data about their symptoms, concerns, and perceptions of their health.
- Medical Records Review: Reviewing the patient’s medical records for existing diagnoses, treatment history, and other pertinent information.
- Diagnostic Studies: Analyzing results from diagnostic tests and procedures to gain a deeper understanding of the patient’s condition.
A complete patient database encompasses all collected health information. This step is critical for identifying related or risk factors and defining characteristics that will be used to formulate accurate nursing diagnoses. Some healthcare facilities or nursing schools may provide specific assessment formats to guide this process.
Critical thinking is paramount during patient assessment. It involves integrating knowledge from various scientific disciplines and professional guidelines to inform sound evaluations. This process is essential for complex clinical decision-making, aiming to effectively identify patient healthcare needs within a supportive environment and utilizing reliable information.
Step 2: Data Analysis and Organization
Once patient data is collected, the next step is to analyze, cluster, and organize this information. This process is crucial for formulating nursing diagnoses, establishing priorities, and defining desired patient outcomes. Look for patterns and relationships in the data to identify significant health problems and needs.
Step 3: Formulating Nursing Diagnoses
Nursing diagnoses are standardized statements that describe a patient’s health problems or conditions that nurses are qualified and licensed to treat. They provide a uniform language for identifying and addressing specific patient needs and responses to actual and potential health issues. Nursing diagnoses focus on problems that can be prevented or resolved through independent nursing interventions.
For a detailed guide on formulating nursing diagnoses, refer to: Nursing Diagnosis (NDx): Complete Guide and List.
Step 4: Setting Priorities
Setting priorities involves establishing an order of importance for addressing nursing diagnoses and interventions. In this step, the nurse collaborates with the patient to determine which identified problems require immediate attention. Diagnoses are often ranked as high, medium, or low priority. Life-threatening problems are always assigned the highest priority.
Prioritization in nursing care is often guided by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This framework, developed by Abraham Maslow, organizes human needs into a hierarchical pyramid, with basic physiological needs at the base and self-actualization at the peak. According to Maslow, basic physiological needs must be met before higher-level needs can be addressed.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in Nursing Care
-
Basic Physiological Needs: These are the most fundamental needs, including:
- Nutrition (water and food)
- Elimination (toileting)
- Airway, Breathing, Circulation (ABCs) – ensuring patent airway (suction if needed), adequate breathing (oxygen therapy if necessary), and stable circulation (monitoring pulse, cardiac function, blood pressure)
- Sleep and rest
- Sex
- Shelter
- Exercise
-
Safety and Security Needs: Once physiological needs are met, safety and security become paramount. These include:
- Injury prevention (side rails, call lights, hand hygiene, isolation precautions, suicide precautions, fall prevention measures, car seats, helmets, seat belts)
- Creating a climate of trust and safety (therapeutic relationship)
- Patient education on safety and preventative measures (e.g., modifiable risk factors for stroke, heart disease)
-
Love and Belonging Needs: Addressing the need for connection and social interaction:
- Fostering supportive relationships
- Strategies to prevent social isolation (addressing issues like bullying)
- Employing active listening techniques and therapeutic communication
- Addressing needs related to sexual intimacy
-
Self-Esteem Needs: Focusing on the patient’s sense of self-worth and accomplishment:
- Promoting acceptance within the community and workplace
- Supporting personal achievement
- Enhancing a sense of control or empowerment
- Encouraging acceptance of one’s physical appearance or body image
-
Self-Actualization Needs: The highest level of needs, focusing on personal growth and fulfillment:
- Providing an empowering environment
- Supporting spiritual growth
- Developing the ability to understand diverse perspectives
- Facilitating the patient in reaching their maximum potential
Virginia Henderson’s 14 Needs as applied to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Learn more about it here.
When setting priorities, nurses must also consider the patient’s health values, beliefs, available resources, and the urgency of the situation. Involving the patient in this process enhances their cooperation and commitment to the care plan.
Step 5: Establishing Patient 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, reflecting what the nurse hopes to achieve based on the patient’s nursing diagnoses. Goals provide direction for planning interventions, serve as criteria for evaluating patient progress, help determine problem resolution, and motivate both the patient and nurse by offering a sense of accomplishment.
Examples of goals and desired outcomes. Notice how they’re formatted and written.
Typically, one overall goal is established for each nursing diagnosis. The terms “goal outcomes” and “expected outcomes” are often used interchangeably.
Effective goals should adhere to the SMART criteria: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-oriented.
- Specific: Goals should be clear, significant, and focused to be effective.
- Measurable: Goals should be quantifiable to allow for progress monitoring and determination of achievement.
- Attainable: Goals should be challenging yet achievable, promoting patient motivation and success.
- Realistic: Goals should be practical and achievable given the patient’s resources, limitations, and overall situation.
- Time-Oriented: Goals should include a specific timeframe for achievement, creating a sense of urgency and focus.
Additionally, the REEPIG standards can further guide goal setting to ensure high-quality care: Realistic, Explicitly stated, Evidence-based, Prioritized, Involve (patient and team), and Goal-centered.
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 can be categorized as short-term or long-term. In acute care settings, most goals are short-term, addressing immediate patient needs. Long-term goals are more common for patients with chronic conditions or those in long-term care facilities.
- Short-term goal: Describes an achievable change in patient behavior or status that can be accomplished relatively quickly, usually within hours or days.
- Long-term goal: Indicates an objective to be achieved over a more extended period, typically weeks or months.
- Discharge planning: Often involves defining long-term goals to ensure continued restorative care and problem resolution through home health services, physical therapy, or other referrals.
Components of Well-Formulated Goals and Desired Outcomes
Goal and desired outcome statements usually consist of four key components:
Components of goals and desired outcomes in a nursing care plan.
- Subject: The recipient of the goal, typically the patient, or a specific aspect of the patient (e.g., pulse rate, temperature, urinary output). Often, the subject is implied as the patient unless otherwise specified (e.g., family, significant other).
- Verb: Specifies the action the patient is expected to perform, learn, or experience.
- Conditions or Modifiers: Clarify the “what, when, where, or how” of the expected behavior, providing context to the verb.
- Criterion of Desired Performance: Indicates the standard for evaluating performance or the level at which the patient will perform the specified behavior. This component is optional but enhances measurability.
Tips for Writing Effective Goals and Desired Outcomes:
- Frame goals and outcomes in terms of patient responses, not nursing activities. Start each goal with “Client will […]” to focus on patient behavior and outcomes.
- Avoid stating goals as what the nurse hopes to achieve; instead, focus on what the patient will do.
- Use observable and measurable terms for outcomes. Avoid vague language that requires subjective interpretation.
- Ensure desired outcomes are realistic, considering the patient’s resources, capabilities, limitations, and the timeframe for care.
- Verify that goals are compatible with therapies prescribed by other healthcare professionals.
- Ensure each goal is derived from only one nursing diagnosis to facilitate clear evaluation of care and ensure interventions are directly related to the diagnosis.
- Confirm that the patient considers the goals important and values them to promote engagement and cooperation.
Step 6: Selecting Nursing Interventions
Nursing interventions are the specific actions or activities that nurses perform to help patients achieve their goals. Interventions should be chosen to address the root cause (etiology) of the prioritized nursing diagnosis. For risk diagnoses, interventions should focus on reducing the patient’s risk factors. While nursing interventions are identified and documented during the planning phase of the nursing process, they are actually carried out during the implementation phase.
Types of Nursing Interventions
Nursing interventions can be categorized as independent, dependent, or collaborative:
Types of nursing interventions in a care plan.
-
Independent Nursing Interventions: These are actions that nurses are authorized to initiate based on their professional judgment and skills. They include:
- Ongoing patient assessment
- Emotional support
- Providing comfort measures
- Patient education
- Physical care
- Referrals to other healthcare professionals
-
Dependent Nursing Interventions: These are actions carried out under the orders or supervision of a physician or other authorized healthcare provider. They include:
- Administering medications
- Providing intravenous therapy
- Performing diagnostic tests
- Implementing specific treatments, diets, and activity or rest orders.
- Patient assessment and explanation related to medical orders are also dependent interventions.
-
Collaborative Interventions: These are actions that nurses implement in partnership with other members of the healthcare team, such as physicians, social workers, dietitians, and therapists. These interventions are developed through consultation to integrate diverse professional perspectives.
Nursing interventions should be:
- Safe and appropriate for the patient’s age, health status, and condition.
- Achievable given available resources and time constraints.
- Consistent with the patient’s values, culture, and beliefs.
- Compatible with other therapies the patient is receiving.
- Based on nursing knowledge, experience, and relevant scientific principles.
Tips for Writing Effective Nursing Interventions:
- Date and sign the care plan. Dating the plan is essential for tracking, reviewing, and future planning. The nurse’s signature indicates accountability.
- Nursing interventions should be specific and clearly stated, beginning with an action verb that indicates the expected nurse action. Action verbs should be precise. Qualifiers such as “how,” “when,” “where,” “time,” “frequency,” and “amount” provide essential details of the planned activity. Examples: “Educate parents on how to take temperature and when to report changes,” or “Assess urine for color, amount, odor, and turbidity every shift.”
- Use only abbreviations that are approved by the healthcare institution.
Step 7: Providing Rationale for Interventions
Rationales, also known as scientific explanations, are crucial for student care plans. They explain the scientific basis for each nursing intervention, linking the intervention to underlying pathophysiological and psychological principles.
Sample nursing interventions and rationale for a care plan (NCP)
Rationales are typically included in student care plans to help students connect theoretical knowledge with practical nursing actions. They are less commonly included in care plans used by practicing nurses in clinical settings.
Step 8: Evaluation of the Care Plan
Evaluation is a systematic, ongoing, and purposeful process to assess the patient’s progress toward achieving the established goals and desired outcomes. It also evaluates the effectiveness of the nursing care plan (NCP). Evaluation is a critical component of the nursing process because its findings determine whether to continue, modify, or terminate specific nursing interventions.
Step 9: Documenting the Nursing Care Plan
The completed patient care plan is documented according to hospital policy and becomes part of the patient’s permanent medical record. This documentation ensures that the care plan is accessible to all members of the healthcare team, particularly oncoming nurses. Nursing programs and healthcare facilities may have different preferred care plan formats, often utilizing a structured format like the five-column plan to systematically guide students through the nursing process.
Comprehensive Nursing Care Plan List
This section presents a categorized list of sample nursing care plans (NCP) and nursing diagnoses for various diseases and health conditions, providing a valuable resource for nurses.
Basic Nursing and General Care Plans
These miscellaneous care plans are fundamental to general patient care and address a range of common nursing needs:
| 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
These care plans are designed for patients undergoing surgical intervention and cover pre-operative and post-operative nursing 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 focused on 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 (NCP) related to 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
Care plans (NCP) 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
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 Care Plans
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
Care plans addressing 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. See care plans 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
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 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 Care Plans
Nursing care plans (NCP) 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
Care plans relating to eye disorders:
| Ophthalmic Care Plans |
|---|
| Cataracts |
| Glaucoma |
| Macular Degeneration |
Pediatric Nursing Care Plans
Nursing care plans (NCP) 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 related to 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 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 for Nursing Care Planning
Enhance your nursing care planning skills with these recommended resources:
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Ackley and Ladwig’s Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: An Evidence-Based Guide to Planning Care
This handbook is invaluable due to 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 creation. It includes step-by-step instructions for implementing care and evaluating outcomes, helping you develop diagnostic reasoning and critical thinking skills.
Nursing Care Plans – Nursing Diagnosis & Intervention (10th Edition)
This resource features over two hundred care plans based on the latest evidence-based guidelines. New additions in this edition include ICNP diagnoses, care plans on LGBTQ health issues, and electrolyte and acid-base balance.
Nurse’s Pocket Guide: Diagnoses, Prioritized Interventions, and Rationales
This quick-reference tool provides essential information for identifying accurate diagnoses and planning efficient patient care. The sixteenth edition includes the most current nursing diagnoses and interventions, with an alphabetized listing of nursing diagnoses covering over 400 disorders.
Nursing Diagnosis Manual: Planning, Individualizing, and Documenting Client Care
This manual helps you identify interventions to plan, personalize, and document care for more than 800 diseases and disorders. It uniquely offers subjective and objective data for each diagnosis, sample clinical applications, prioritized actions/interventions with rationales, documentation guidance, and much more!
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 covering medical-surgical, maternity/OB, pediatrics, and psychiatric and mental health nursing. It utilizes interprofessional “patient problems” to familiarize you with patient-centered communication.
References and Sources
Recommended reading materials and sources for this NCP guide:
