Care plans are stupid.

LegzRN · Feb 16, 2011

Agreed... although haven't done one since nursing school. We don't do them in our ED. I remember during orientation when they were showing us the hospital's computer system that counter's the ED's system and they were teaching us how to do them. I think I may have fell asleep.

CRNA 2012 · Feb 16, 2011

They are not necessarily stupid but rather informational. You will NEVER do another one the rest of your life in the real world. They just try to get you to think about what is going on with the patient and put things together. Good luck the rest of the way

netglow, ASN, RN · Feb 16, 2011

Thats a big NSS.

carolmaccas66, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2011

What does NSS mean?

Our nurs care plans are all pre-printed for each patient with the same op. We can write in each day, on different lines when things change, re the wound status, IV status, whatever, and there are codes we put in as well, or I don't bother putting down the code sometimes. We put the date and time and sign it as we would in a medical record. They are really cool and time saving.

SharonH, RN · Feb 16, 2011

They are not necessarily stupid but rather informational. You will NEVER do another one the rest of your life in the real world. They just try to get you to think about what is going on with the patient and put things together. Good luck the rest of the way

We do them every day. They are required for our patient population by CMS.

sweetER · Feb 16, 2011

I never thought I'd say this... because I hated care plans... but they really do help you to think about what's going on with your patient, and after you have what feels like the 4 millionth patient with CHF, or diabetes, or acute pancreatitis, you can expect what you're going to do with them. But yeah... they do suck when you're having to do them. :)

maestrotee · Feb 16, 2011

What do you mean I won't have to do another one in the 'real world'? I wish. I'm an ADON in the real world at a LTC facility and I bet we spend almost half of our day staring and obsessing over these stupid pieces of paper that don't meet any specific patient need at the very least, and at the very worst takes away from patient care, worried that the state will come in and hang us because we didn't update the care plan with the latest coumadin dose adjustment! It's absolutely asinine to even conceive that writing something on a piece of paper somehow contributes to patient care! I was a floor nurse for a few years before the admin thing, and I don't ever remember opening a care plan for ideas on how to better serve the needs of my patients. I grabbed their H&P and meds and let my assessments dictate how I took care of that patient. If they tell me they are in pain, and they have an order for PRN tylenol, I'm not going to take a break to go find out that they like a calm quiet environment as an intervention to pain. Duh! I don't know anyone who prefers a loud, busy, bright environment to help them cope with pain! The only reason that nurses are still burdened with this arbitrary regulatory mandate is so the board of health can find tags and generate revenue. I absolutely hate the concept of them. The end.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2011

Yeah, why plan care? Just let it happen, come what may.

maestrotee · Feb 16, 2011

I am def not saying I don't plan my care. Oh, my gosh. I am planning my care every moment of the day. It's called prioritizing. A piece of paper doesn't ensure that everybody's on the same page regarding certain dx or problems. I would surely hope that our education and licenses do that already.

brielle776 · Feb 16, 2011

They are not necessarily stupid but rather informational. You will NEVER do another one the rest of your life in the real world. They just try to get you to think about what is going on with the patient and put things together. Good luck the rest of the way

I really hope this is true to where ever I work after I graduate because I HATE them too. Not that I don't think care should be planned but who has the time to do one on every single patient, at least not as detailed and long as we have to do them in school.

allnurses Guide · Feb 16, 2011

I am def not saying I don't plan my care. Oh, my gosh. I am planning my care every moment of the day. It's called prioritizing. A piece of paper doesn't ensure that everybody's on the same page regarding certain dx or problems. I would surely hope that our education and licenses do that already.

They only got stupid after they got all stirred in with the Nursing Diagnosis thing. That's when it was decided that only RNs trained in the NANDAS were allowed to create it, and I find that nowadays people think NANDA was the reason for the care plan all along.

In the olden days the care plan was easily accessible to everyone, it was written in pencil and (gasp!) even the CNAs could add things to it. It was a flexible practical shorthand derived directly from the dx and orders, because you didn't have to stop at NANDA to pick up your nursing diagnosis first.