What Is A Nursing Care Plan?

When it comes to healthcare, especially in situations where families and healthcare professionals are dealing with rapid onset or rapid progression of illness, it can be helpful to have a plan in place (or to take the time to develop one) that serves as a roadmap for the treatment options and decisions that will be made later down the road. 

A nursing care plan is one example of these types of roadmaps concerning long or short-term care. This comprehensive plan outlines strategies and expectations for the entire care team, including both nursing and non-nursing health care contributors. To offer maximum effectiveness, the plan should be updated and revised on a regular basis, or as determined by the head of the patient’s care team, and developed with input from the patient and family members.

Characteristics of a successful nursing care plan might include:

·       A holistic approach that accounts for both the well-being of mind and body

·       A set of realistic targets or outcomes , in terms of patient goals

·       A focus on both present and immediate outcomes and issues, as well as target outcomes for the patient that relate to the future

When it comes to the actual mechanics of developing the document, the nursing care plan might include the following elements:

·       An initial assessment or diagnosis

·       Statement of desired patient outcomes

·       Plan of action

·       Interventions

·       Benchmarks for ongoing assessment

·       Methods for evaluation

Common issues addressed in a nursing plan might include pain management, patient self-care, or patient benchmarks that need to be met in order for the patient to be dismissed or moved to the next stage of care, such as hospice or a rehabilitation facility.

As you might imagine, no two nursing care plans are exactly alike. Nursing teams each have their own methods of approaching the development and execution of care plans, and of course each of these plans will be fine-tuned based on the individual needs of different patients.

If you’d like to know more or provide input with respect to the  elements of your/your family member’s nursing care plan, it’s recommended that you ask the doctor or nurse in charge of your care team for information and insight. 

To learn more about care plans or home health care options, click here!