Nursing care plans are an important aspect of nursing practice. These are structured methods through which nurses deliver the correct treatment and complete appropriate interventions when attending to their patients. So, if you are a student nurse or even a professional nurse, knowing how to write a proper care plan is essential for you. In this blog, Nursing Shala will help you learn about nursing books, and we will look at some of the best nursing care plan books, care plan PDFs, and other important resources that will help you develop your skills in making care plans.
What is a Nursing Care Plan?
A nursing care plan is a document outlining the needed interventions and nursing actions that aim at helping address medical conditions, bringing a patient out of bed into wellness. The items to be considered are:
- Assessment: Overall review of a patient’s status
- Diagnosis: Patient’s problems with health.
- Planning: Sets objectives and what one should anticipate from care
- Implementation: Administration of the care planned.
- Evaluation: Assessment of whether the patient received proper care from the devised care plan
Nursing Care Plan Best-Selling Books and Resources
Some sources of nursing care plans include several books and Internet resources. A few of the most popular ones are listed below for nursing students and professionals.
| Book Title | Author/Publisher | Topics Covered | Price Range (INR) |
| Nursing Care Plans: Diagnoses, Interventions & Outcomes | Meg Gulanick, Judith L. Myers | Provides comprehensive care plan examples and interventions | 1,500 – 2,500 |
| Nursing Diagnosis Handbook | Betty J. Ackley, Gail B. Ladwig | Detailed care plan development and nursing diagnoses | 2,000 – 3,500 |
| Medical-Surgical Nursing | Lewis’s | Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems | 1000-3500 |
| Medical-Surgical Nursing Care Plan | Lippincott | Focuses on medical-surgical nursing interventions and care plans | 1,000 – 2,500 |
| Community Health Nursing Care Plan | Judy M. T. Sam, Mosby | Nursing care for public health and community-based care | 900 – 1,800 |
| Surgical Nursing Care Plan | Elsevier | Specific interventions for patients undergoing surgery | 1,000 – 2,000 |
These books are particularly useful for the guide of developing care plans that make sense, which involves the various stages from assessments to interventions, both in hospitals and community health nursing. Whatever focus is taken between medical-surgical care plans and community health nursing care plans, including surgical care plans books, are bound to help with such a structure.
Nursing care plans may be suitable for those preferring to access or download digital material, and several online sources are available, with free downloadable care plan examples and templates found on some websites and nursing blogs:
- Free nursing care plan examples: Several free examples of downloadable care plans may be accessed at online nursing sites or blogs, often very useful to students who learn how to develop and present a plan themselves.
- Medical Surgical Care Plan PDF: The study of medical-surgical nursing allows you to view PDF care plans for all of these medical conditions, surgical procedures, and interventions.
- Community Health Nursing Care Plan PDF: This kind of community health nursing care plan is important to community health and public health nursing care. Its care plans aim for health promotion and disease prevention.
- Nursing Care Plan PDF Free Download: Most of the websites like NursingTimes, Nursing.com, and AllNurses.com offer free nursing care plan templates and downloadable PDFs.
- Surgical Nursing Care Plan PDF: If you specialize in surgical nursing, many platforms give free PDFs covering specific postoperative care plans, surgical procedures, and interventions.
Here’s an example of the types of topics you can expect to find in free downloadable care plans:
| Care Plan Topic | Condition/Area of Focus |
| Post-Op Care | Nursing care after surgery |
| Hypertension | Blood pressure management and medication |
| Diabetes Management | Blood glucose monitoring and insulin administration |
| Post-Delivery Care (Maternity) | Maternal and newborn care after childbirth |
| Respiratory Care | Managing COPD, asthma, and pneumonia |
These free resources allow for a step-by-step creation of effective and comprehensive care plans, from general conditions to specific interventions.
How to Write a Nursing Care Plan
There are several steps to creating a nursing care plan. Here is a simple framework to follow:
- Assessment: Collect information about the patient’s condition through patient history, physical exams, lab results, and symptoms.
- Diagnosis: Based on the assessment, identify the patient’s nursing diagnosis (i.e., potential health problems).
- Planning: Identification of clear, measurable goals concerning the patient’s recovery or improvement in health condition.
- Implementation: Describe specific nursing interventions that are goal-directed, like giving medications, educating the patient, or monitoring their vital signs.
- Evaluation: Determine if the health status of the patient has improved and whether the goals set have been attained. Revise the care plan if necessary.
Example of Nursing Care Plan
| Diagnosis | Goal | Interventions | Evaluation |
| Acute Pain | Patient will report reduced pain level to a manageable level | Administer prescribed pain medications, monitor vital signs | Pain level reduced from 8/10 to 4/10 |
| Risk for Infection | Patient will remain free from infection | Maintain sterile technique during procedures, monitor for signs of infection | No signs of infection after 48 hours |
| Impaired Skin Integrity | The wound will show signs of healing in 72 hours | Apply dressing, monitor for redness, swelling, or drainage | Wound healing progressed, no infection present |
Conclusion
A nursing care plan is a very critical document that forms the basis for guiding the nursing process and provides the best possible care to the patients. The right resources, such as nursing care plan books, PDF downloads, or free care plan examples, will help create comprehensive and effective plans. It means you can better develop care plans that are patient-needs-oriented, thus improving health outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I get free nursing care plan examples?
Free nursing care plan examples can be accessed from websites like NursingTimes, Nursing.com, and AllNurses.com. Most nursing blogs also offer downloadable templates.
What are some of the key topics in nursing care plans?
Some of the key topics include Post-Op Care, Hypertension Management, Diabetes Care, Community Health nursing, and Surgical Nursing.
How do I develop a nursing care plan?
The five basic elements of the nursing care plan are Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation. Follow this approach to develop an all-rounded, effective plan to care for patients
