Major careplan = dinosaur???

[Windbag]

Our faculty is about to engage in a discussion of the continued value of a "major careplan". One based upon an assigned patient in clinical and inclusive of five Nursing diagnoses, goals/outcomes, interventions (with rationales drawn from literature citations), and evaluation.

The careplan is graded (but only 10 points out of 400 or so for the semester) and they tend to run 20-30 pages in length. Students spend considerable time, energy and anxiety during the completion of this project (and are required to do one for each of our four principle clinical courses with increasing degrees of acumen). There is little doubt that they learn from them, but there is also a sense that their time (and that of the instructor who must grade them) may be more productively spent engaged in other activities that accomplish the same objectives.

IS THERE ANY RESEARCH DOCUMENTING A TREND AWAY FROM MAJOR CAREPLAN AS PART OF UNDERGRADUATE NURSING EDUCATION? Is the careplan, as some allege, a dinosaur?

[oilinmylamp]

I think care plans as you just described them are definitely a dinosaur.However I do believe simple problem statements with attending goals and interventyions are useful. We ask our students to do thes simple care plans each clinical day. It helps them focus on the goals for the patient that day instead of some long term goal that the student nurse will never see come to fruition or give them a chance to evaluate.If the student has a dehydrated patient and writes a goal to get them to drink 8 oz. of water during their clinical time it is an achievable goal and I think they have a better chance of really learning what goals are important from a nursing point of view.

[Beth, RN fac]

I have found numerous articles where concept mapping or mind mapping is an effective way to use the nursing process as well as minimize the agony of students and faculty doing and grading a care plan. The mapping idea is current, up to date info and is relevant to client care.

We are moving in that direction at our school. I suggest you link to your library and do a search OR just search the internet for concept or mind mapping and nursing.

Good luck!