Nursing Care Plan
A nursing care plan gives direction as to the kind of nursing care that the patient/family/ community may require. The focus of a nursing care plan generally is to facilitate, standardise, evidence based and holistic nursing care. A nursing care plan must cover all aspects of nursing assignments including assignment planning, assessment, service delivery, financial management, and evaluation. A nursing care plan must be consistent with nursing assessments, quality systems and practice guidelines.
The objective of nursing assignments is to provide safe and secure nursing care while promoting continuity in life for the patient and family. The process of assigning nursing care is usually performed by trained nursing personnel who are experienced in all aspects of nursing assignments. However, sometimes this can be through contractual nursing care plan administrators who have been awarded authority by a senior manager to perform nursing assignments.
Care plans are written documents that detail the process of nursing assignments, the procedures involved and the services to be provided. It is designed to assist a senior medical officer (serving on a clinical commission) to assess nursing needs and establish an appropriate nursing care plan for a particular hospital or medical establishment. Care plans also describe nursing assignments in a general way, so that other departments can be included when necessary.
Care plans are usually based on a brief description of the need for nursing care, the purpose and time frame for required services, details of the staffing required and the basic duties and responsibilities of nursing staff in the establishment. Specific details may also include descriptions of specialized duties and responsibilities. A nursing care plan will enable the senior medical officer to allocate nursing care and medical attention for the patients, according to his or her individual assessment and preferences. Thus, a nursing care plan can vary according to the patients’ condition and requirements.
The written nursing plan will specify nursing assignments and their specific description. Details of nursing assignments may include the number of nurses to be assigned, their qualifications, their check my source clinical experience and professional reputations. Nursing plans will also specify the type and scope of nursing services required. These details should be included not only to comply with legal obligations but also because a nursing plan may change as the nursing situation changes.
The detailed nursing plan will include the details of the compensation of nursing staff, including their professional fees. Other important terms such as nursing salary, nursing benefit plan, nursing home benefit plan, nursing assistant benefit plan, nursing agency fee and reimbursement fee must also be included. It is very important to mention the name and level of each nursing staff member’s supervision. Details of supervision and the relationship of the supervising nurse to the nursing staff will also be included in the nursing plan.
The nursing plan must clearly lay down the procedure followed by nursing staff to ensure compliance with nursing guidelines and standards. Details of nursing procedure should include the methods used to assess a patient’s condition, assessment of the nursing needs of the patient, an assessment of the nursing situation including the staff’s knowledge and skills and actions to be taken and methods used for communicating with patients, families and other nursing staff members. Details of the procedures followed by nursing staff to ensure compliance with directives and standards laid down by medical authorities must also be included. In addition to this, the nursing plan must contain the details of any extra training provided to nursing staff to enhance their skills.
Details of the payment made to nursing staff members under the terms of nursing contracts must also be included in the nursing plan. Details of the review and approval of nursing plans and any complaints disposed of against nursing staff must be included in the nursing plan. Details of any new nursing services provided to nursing care facilities under contract nursing or management agreement must be included. Details of the formulation of nursing plans, the establishment of nursing contracts, nursing staffs’ performance and any recommendations made by the Nursing Council of the country must also be included in the nursing plan.