Nursing diagnosis

The above link is the exact book we are using for our Fundamentals class. Its VERY helpful. I also went to Borders (before they closed) and bought a Nursing Care Plan book. All the NANDA-I nursing diagnoses are listed and then you look them up and pick interventions, characteristics etc..

good luck!

I second that book.

Buy it!

It was listed as a required book on my book list for NS. It's very helpful!

More like.....third it.

Does anyone know if there is a online course or something that would teach nursing students how to write care plans? I just wrote my first care plan and I have no clue what I did. I figured since I will be writing care plans for the rest of my career life, I need to understand what exactly I am writing.

Care plans are a little um....ridiculous. Well, that may not be the right word....but anyway my clinical instructor would prefer us to be in the room hands on with the patient rather than stressing over how perfect our care plans were. It is important to know hx,meds, medical diagnosis, labs, diagnostic tests, etc. But don't stress over it too much. Really. Know what you need to know and go from there. Focus on your pt.

When you are actually working you don't sit down and write care plans for every patient you have. Now, you just go into whatever charting system your facility uses, make a few clicks and you have an entire approved plan right there. Or at least we do.

I get what you are saying. I have seen the charting system in the facility that I am currently having my clinical in. It's so much easier than having to write it. However, when I have to write a care plan to turn in to my clinical instructor; I spent days working on it. For one, I have no clue what the template is asking for. Two, I have trouble finding out where to start. Finally, I have no clue what the instructor is expecting from us.

Hmmm, that sucks. Our's are clearly outlined so we know what they want from us. Can you calirfy with an instructor. I know they can be confusing and frustrating. Just try not to over think it. That's easy to do.

Just start with the basics. Get the medical diagnosis, symptoms, etc and make a nursing dx from that. Then set goals, etc. You get what I'm saying.

Will give it a shot. Thanks! :)