30+ page care plans

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Just curious...

I've read several threads where students mention having to write 30 page (or more!) care plans for every clinical. I've gone through LPN school and I'm eight weeks away from finishing RN school...and I've never had to write a care plan that even comes close to being that long :uhoh3: I guess I'm just wondering, what in the world is in 30+ page care plan?? :confused:

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

We have to include our drugs in our care plans and to write out all the required info takes up space. My last care plan had something like 20 pages of drugs.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Ok that makes sense. We have to include med analysis papers also, but they are counted separately from the actual care plan. In the care plan itself, we just have to mention the drug as a collaborative intervention with the dose, frequency, and reason for administration.

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I'm in the process of writing my first care plan and it's going to amount to about 30 pages. I have to include a short patho paper based on my patient, all their meds (incl the mechanism of action, uses, contraindications, precautions, interactions, and why it's prescribed to this patient - for every med), the patient's lab values and why they're significant, Nursing Dx, NOCs, NICs, and a care map. Seems a bit excessive, but as I'm working on it, I'm beginning to see the value of doing this. It's really helping me to understand this patient's illness and treatment and how interconnected everything is.

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Specializes in Acute Care Pediatrics.

I have never ever seen a 30 page care plan, and the thought of one makes me want to stab myself in the eye with a pencil.

What on earth are you having to write 30 pages on drugs for? We need to "know" our drugs, but that is their class, their action, and their major side effects. We actually just bring preprinted drug cards to clinical now and our instructor pulls us to the side and goes over our drugs with us (we are expected to know the main points for each drug.) I can't imagine writing it all out!! The thought of it makes my arm hurt.

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I have never ever seen a 30 page care plan, and the thought of one makes me want to stab myself in the eye with a pencil.

What on earth are you having to write 30 pages on drugs for? We need to "know" our drugs, but that is their class, their action, and their major side effects. We actually just bring preprinted drug cards to clinical now and our instructor pulls us to the side and goes over our drugs with us (we are expected to know the main points for each drug.) I can't imagine writing it all out!! The thought of it makes my arm hurt.

We only have to do 2 care plans for the entire semester, not one before each clinical. And it's not 30 pages worth of drug info. It includes the labs, nursing dx, NOCs, NICs, etc. And yes, I almost stabbed myself in the eye several times over the past 2 days. :lol2: There is no way I could've done this before each clinical, but only twice this semester, I can handle it. It sounds worse than it is.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

"I have never ever seen a 30 page care plan, and the thought of one makes me want to stab myself in the eye with a pencil. "

That's what I was thinking! :lol2:

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"I have never ever seen a 30 page care plan and the thought of one makes me want to stab myself in the eye with a pencil. [/i']"

That's what I was thinking! :lol2:

Same here. When I was in school, I seem to remember our's going to six or maybe eight pages, and I couldn't handle those!

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

I just handed in a 18 page one but that had assessments and everything too. That was the longest I have ever written and I am in my last semester. 30 pages is overkill. Who wants to grade that?

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.
I have never ever seen a 30 page care plan, and the thought of one makes me want to stab myself in the eye with a pencil.

I'm hearing you! Besides, what teacher actually wants to GRADE that monster?

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Mine usually amount to about 16-20 pages, and we do one for every clinical. It includes writeups for medical diagnosis, past medical hx, social hx, pathophysiology, labs, orders, prodedures, education, potential medical complications, meds, and two nursing diagnoses. Our instructor is ridiculous in that she wants the care plan written in such a time-consuming way; instead of saying "Assess pt prior to ambulation. Assist to ambulate xxx feet." we have to say something like "Assist pt to sit at side of bed. Allow them to rest for 1 minute. Take blood pressure. Blood pressure must remain below (insert figure). Assist pt. to stand. Take blood pressure. Blood pressure must remain below (insert figure.) Holding pt by right arm, assist to ambulate 10 feet...blah blah blah." I swear I'm surprised she doesn't want a description of the word "assist" too. Our writeups are due at the beginning of clinical, so that essentially means to write these things, I'm working on them from 1 or 2 in the afternoon until around 2 am that night. It's pure hell...it's not so bad if you have a reasonable instructor but ours is beyond unreasonable and everything has to be perfect for us to get the needed points. If we don't get above 90% on 4 writeups, we fail the course. And she's eeeeevillllll when it comes to grading them.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

I doubt any instructor assigns a 30 page paper, it's just how it ends up depending on the patient's diagnoses.

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