care plans ahhh!

Catma63 · Oct 16, 2003

The goal is exactly that; a goal. Outcome criteria is what you expect to assess after the goal is met.

Example:

Subjective data: Daughter of pt. states: "Mom chokes every time she eats."

Objective: Pt. has CVA w/ L-sided paralysis. Pt. has diminished gag reflex. Pt. has difficulty swallowing liquids. Acynotic.

Nursing Diagnosis: Potential for Injury (aspiration) r/t diminished gag reflex or impaired swallowing secondary to L-sided CVA.

Making a Goal: Prevent injury, Prevent aspiration.

Outcome Criteria:

1. Lungs will remain clear.

2. Pt. color will remain acynotic.

3. Pts. CXR will show no signs of aspiration.

4. Pt. will have no choking episodes while eating.

Then you follow with scientific rationales. On our campus, we have to include independent, dependent, and interdependent interventions, all w/scientific rationales.

After that, you have your Evaluation.

Taken from notes. Hope this helped.

Soy · Oct 16, 2003

We just handed a group care plan so you're in luck.

Basically, an outcome criteria is the condition that will show you (the nurse) that your patient has met the goal of the nursing care plan. So for example, if your goal is to teach your patient about lowering sodium intake because this person has hypertension, if the patient says, "It's okay for me to eat a bag of potato chips everyday," then your goal hasn't been met.

But if your patient says, "Okay, I need to avoid high salt foods, like potato chips, cold cuts and add less table salt to my food," then your goal has been met.

The outcome criteria in this case would be something like: patient will identify food high in sodium and verbalize how to limit sodium intake. That's how you will know that the goal has been achieved.

The goal would be something like: patient will learn how to moniter dietary sodium intake because that is the overall goal you are trying to achieve to help the person manage their illness.

I hope this helps.

Soy