careplan book

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jun 13, 2006

Let me first say that I AM NOT A STUDENT so my care plan book needs are different. My personal favorite is the nursing care plan book by Lynda Juall Carpenita-Moyet. Ms. Carpenita has been a member of NANDA for many years and probably knows more about the nursing diagnoses than any of the care plan book writers out there. The current edition of her book is called Nursing Disgnosis: Application to Clinical Practice, Vol. 11 and it was published in 2005 and runs about $50. I know you can get it for sure from Barnes and Noble and Amazon. There is also a handbook by the same author called Handbook of Nursing Diagnosis also printed in 2005 that runs $35. I also have a copy of the Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions and Classification 2005-2006 from NANDA which is not a care plan book but the official list of the 172 nursing diagnoses with their definitions that costs $19.95 and you have to purchase from NANDA. There are no nursing interventions printed in this little handbook.

However, the care plan book that many students seem to like is Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: A guide to Planning Care by Betty J. Ackley and Gail B. Ladwig printed July 2005 and runs $40. This is the most current addition of the care plan book that students often refer to as being written by Ackley and Ladwig (Ms. Ackley has changed her last name to Ladwig). One of the primary reasons is because it includes a list of patient signs and symptoms and matches them to common nursing diagnoses that go with those particular signs and symptoms. This is a big help to you when you are trying to figure out what nursing diagnoses to use for a patient. The Carpenita care plan book and handbook do not have this extra feature. All the care plan books I've mentioned DO have nursing interventions listed in them (except for the NANDA book).

I encourage you to also search for older threads on this same forum on the subject of care plan books. You will find a number of old threads about it and lots of opinions on which books are better. In the end, it is up to you. Ideally, you should really have a chance to look through a book before you buy it.

BeccaznRN, RN · Jun 13, 2006

Our BSN program also used the Ackley and Ladwig Nursing Diagnosis Handbook. It was a fabulous book and the one book that I used the most throughout the program.

daijon_20 · Jun 16, 2006

Datonite and StlRn2b1206

Thank you for responding to my post. I found the careplan book by Ackley and Ladwig and it is helping a lot with careplans.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jun 16, 2006

i just got my copy of the current 7th edition of nursing diagnosis handbook: a guide to planning care by betty j. ackley and gail b. ladwig yesterday and have been reading through it, particularly the first section. if you don't know which nursing diagnosis you want to use the big plus to this book is using section 2 to get ideas of which nursing diagnoses will be appropriate to pick based on the signs and symptoms you determined from your assessment of the patient as well as the patient's medical or disease condition. you can also use the online care plan constructor that compliments this handbook at this website http://www1.us.elsevierhealth.com/evolve/ackley/ndh6e/constructor/ which is basically the same information that is in the handbook. you just click on the things you want to include in your care plan and it will format it all for you so you can print it out.

for any readers who might be contemplating buying this particular book, do not be fooled by the title of it being a handbook that you could carry in your pocket. the darn thing has a total of 1353 pages, is 1 3/4 inches thick and measures 7 1/2 by 9 1/4 inches, and would probably leave a good sized bruise if it fell on your foot! in any case it is an excellent bargain for $40.

lauritasol · Jun 16, 2006

Our school required the Carpenito book and I *HATED* it. I got the Ackley and Ladwig, "Nursing Diagnosis Handbook" and it was my bible throughout nursing school. It is so thorough and has all the rationales listed with the interventions. It is also easy to use and navigate through. You can look up the patient's problem either by symptoms or by diagnosis (nursing or medical!). It was truly a lifesaver and my professors were always impressed with my careplans. I never got below a 94 on any of them. HTH!

Achoo!, LPN · Jun 16, 2006

We use Ackley and Ladwig also.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jun 16, 2006

lauritasol. . .you little Devil you! :devil: I'm proud of you for using your initiative and thinking cap. There is really nothing that is all that hard about nursing care plans. They just take practice. Once you figure out the rules and method of putting them together they help you learn nursing which is just another reason why students are required to write them in pretty much all nursing programs. When you get into work situations you will all find that each facility wants them done just a little differently, but no more tearing your hair out justifying your intervention with rationales, usually! :yeahthat:

VRGirl · Jun 16, 2006

Is there much difference between the 6th edition and the 7th edition of the Ackley/Ladwig book?

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jun 16, 2006

The preface of the 7th edition states that these are the new special features in it:

Five new nursing diagnoses recently approved by NANDA-I
Revisions made by NANDA-I in existing nursing diagnoses
Revised NOC outcomes for each nursing diagnosis, including the rating scale
Revised NIC interventions for each nursing diagnosis
Labeling of nursing research as EBN (Evidence-Based Nursing) and clinical research as EB (Evidenced-Based) to identify the source fo evidenced-based rationales
Addition of pediatric interventions to appropriate care plans
Even more culturally appropriate interventions added to care plans as relevant
An associated EVOLVE Course Management System that includes critical thinking case studies; worksheets; and the ability to post a class syllabus, outline, and lecture notes, share e-mail, and encourage student participation through chat rooms and discussion boards.
An instructor's CD and PowerPoint lecture slides

Since the online care plan constructor on the elsevier website pretty much has the entire section 2 and 3 of the book on line I would imagine that as the webmaster gets to it, those will be updated if they haven't been already. I honestly don't know what the five new nursing diagnoses are, but I'm willing to bet that they are not ones that are commonly used in med/surg. They are mostly ironing out the kinks on the diagnoses used by nurse practitioners these days.

VRGirl · Jun 16, 2006

Thank you very much!