Nursing Care Plans and Clinical Pathways:

This presentation briefly outlines what nursing care plans and clinical pathways are and their importance in nursing.

1. Nursing Care Plans & Clinical Pathways

2. Nursing Care Plans Nursing care plans are essential to delivering the appropriate care to patients

3. Nursing Care Plans Nursing Care Plans will differ in every place you work - they can also be called Care Tracks or Care Maps.

4. Nursing Care Plans Nursing Care Plans are used to outline the patients care on a daily basis.

5. Clinical Pathways Clinical pathways are standardised , evidence-based multidisciplinary management plans, which identify an appropriate sequence of clinical interventions, timeframes, milestones and expected outcomes for an homogenous patient group (Queensland Health Clinical Pathways Board definition 2002).

6. Clinical Pathways Clinical pathways are made to follow certain policies and procedures and there is generally one for a certain area, illness and procedure.

7. Nursing Care Plans & Clinical Pathways Are not generally patient specific but changes or additions can be made depending on the patients plan of care e .g patient is having daily dressings, can write the type of dressings used All care plans must have a patient label, have a commencement date and time and should be signed on a per shift basis

8. Nursing Care Plans & Clinical Pathways Clinical Risk Assessment Tools should be filled out on admission so that clinical pathways and nursing care plans can meet the needs of the patient.

9. References Queensland Health 2009, Clinical Pathways, Queensland Government, viewed 11 th October 2010 http://www.health.qld.gov.au/cpic/service_improve/clinical_pathways.asp The Office of Senior Practitioner 2009, Positive solutions in practice: clinical risk assessment and management in people with an intellectual disability, State Government Victoria, viewed 11 th October 2010 http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/432489/osp_clinicalriskassessriskmanageinpeoplewithintellectdis_easyread_pdf_0510.pdf

10. References Aged care in Victoria 2009, Falls Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT), Victorian Government Health Information, viewed 11 th October 2010, http://www.health.vic.gov.au/agedcare/maintaining/falls/providers/rac/plans_frat.htm Our Organisation The Women’s 2010, Risk Management Guidelines, The Royal Women’s Hospital, viewed 11 th October 2010, http://intranet.thewomens.org.au/RiskManagementGuidelines?searchTerms[]=risk&searchTerms[]=assessment

11. IHNA offers qualifications in aged care , disability and nursing . Go to http://www.ihna.edu.au to kick start your health career. Thank you for viewing this presentation!