Nursing care Plans

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In our hospital we haven't gone paperless yet and nurses are often complaining about the increasing workload due to care plans. I must admit that there are many care bundles but in spite of promoting them the nurses still write in the nurses' record instead of updating the care plan or else do both which eventually add to the workload.

There are 10-11 nursing care plans/bundles that are commonly used in all general in patient areas in my hospital. I wonder if the care plans could be separated and be computerized and what remains in the nurses' record is the daily monitoring record part of the care bundle. The plan is to have a section in the admission booklet with a list of standard care plans used. The admitting nurse will activate the required care plan from this list. Each will be dated and signed. This list will be updated on a continuous basis and any exception from the standard care plan will be documented in the nurses' record with proper rationale. When the problem is resolved the date will be updated in the resolved section

Any care plan other than the one on the list will have to be physically put in to the folder or needs to be written.

We have our policies and protocols online but is having the care plans online a legally sound initiative?? Is this similar to Charting by exception?

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