examples of nursing school assignments

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Common Assignments: Writing in Nursing

Although there may be some differences in writing expectations between disciplines, all writers of scholarly work are required to follow basic writing standards such as writing clear, concise, and grammatically correct sentences; using proper punctuation; demonstrating critical thought; and, in all Walden programs, using APA style. When writing in nursing, however, students must also be familiar with the goals of the discipline and discipline-specific writing expectations.

Nurses are primarily concerned about providing quality care to patients and their families, and this demands both technical knowledge and the appropriate expression of ideas (“Writing in nursing,” n.d). As a result, nursing students are expected to learn how to present information succinctly, and even though they may often use technical medical terminology (“Writing in nursing,” n.d.), their work should be accessible to anyone who may read it. Among many goals, writers within this discipline are required to:

• Document knowledge/research
• Demonstrate critical thinking
• Express creative ideas
• Explore nursing literature
• Demonstrate understanding of learning activities. (Wagner, n.d., para. 2)

Given this broad set of objectives, nursing students would benefit from learning how to write diverse literature, including scholarly reports, reviews, articles, and so on. They should aim to write work that can be used in both the research and clinical aspects of the discipline. Walden instructors often ask nursing students to write position and reflective papers, critique articles, gather and analyze data, respond to case studies, and work collaboratively on a project. Although there may be differences between the writing expectations within the classroom and those in the workplace, the standards noted below, though more common in scholarly writing, require skills that are transferrable to the work setting.

Because one cannot say everything there is to say about a particular subject, writers present their work from a particular perspective. For instance, one might choose to examine the shortage of nurses from a public policy perspective. One’s particular contribution, position, argument, or viewpoint is commonly referred to as the thesis and, according to Gerring et al. (2004), a good thesis is one that is “new, true, and significant” (p. 2). To strengthen a thesis, one might consider presenting an argument that goes against what is currently accepted within the field while carefully addressing counterarguments and adequately explaining why the issue under consideration matters (Gerring et al., 2004). The thesis is particularly important because readers want to know whether the writer has something new or worthwhile to say about the topic. Thus, as you review the literature, before writing, it is important to find gaps and creative linkages between viewpoints with the goal of contributing innovative ideas to an ongoing discussion. For a contribution to be worthwhile you must read the literature carefully and without bias; doing this will enable you to identify some of the subtle differences in the viewpoints presented by different authors and help you to better identify the gaps in the literature. Because the thesis is essentially the heart of your discussion, it is important that it is argued objectively and persuasively.

With the goal of providing high quality care, the healthcare industry places a premium on rigorous research as the foundation for evidence-based practices. Thus, students are expected to keep up with the most current research in their field and support the assertions they make in their work with evidence from the literature. Nursing students also must learn how to evaluate evidence in nursing literature and identify the studies that answer specific clinical questions (Oermann & Hays, 2011). Writers are also expected to critically analyze and evaluate studies and assess whether findings can be used in clinical practice (Beyea & Slattery, 2006). (Some useful and credible sources include journal articles, other peer-reviewed sources, and authoritative sources that might be found on the web. If you need help finding credible sources contact a librarian.)

Like other APA style papers, research papers in nursing should follow the following format: title, abstract, introduction, literature review, method, results, discussion, references, and appendices (see APA 7, Sections 2.16-2.25). Note that the presentation follows a certain logic: In the introduction one presents the issue under consideration; in the literature review, one presents what is already known about the topic (thus providing a context for the discussion), identifies gaps, and presents one’s approach; in the methods section, one would then identify the method used to gather data; and in the results and discussion sections, one then presents and explains the results in an objective manner, noting the limitations of the study (Dartmouth Writing Program, 2005). Note that not all papers need to be written in this manner; for guidance on the formatting of a basic course paper, see the appropriate template on our website.

In their research, nursing researchers use quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. In quantitative studies, researchers rely primarily on quantifiable data; in qualitative studies, they use data from interviews or other types of narrative analyses; and in mixed methods studies, they use both qualitative and quantitative approaches. A researcher should be able to pose a researchable question and identify an appropriate research method. Whatever method the researcher chooses, the research must be carried out in an objective and scientific manner, free from bias. Keep in mind that your method will have an impact on the credibility of your work, so it is important that your methods are rigorous. Walden offers a series of research methods courses to help students become familiar with the various research methods.

Instructors expect students to master the content of the discipline and use discipline- appropriate language in their writing. In practice, nurses may be required to become familiar with standardized nursing language as it has been found to lead to the following:

• better communication among nurses and other health care providers,
• increased visibility of nursing interventions,
• improved patient care,
• enhanced data collection to evaluate nursing care outcomes,
• greater adherence to standards of care, and
• facilitated assessment of nursing competency. (Rutherford, 2008)

Like successful writers in other disciplines and in preparation for diverse roles within their fields, in their writing nursing students should demonstrate that they (a) have cultivated the thinking skills that are useful in their discipline, (b) are able to communicate professionally, and (c) can incorporate the language of the field in their work appropriately (Colorado State University, 2011).

If you have content-specific questions, be sure to ask your instructor. The Writing Center is available to help you present your ideas as effectively as possible.

Beyea, S. C., & Slattery, M. J. (2006). Evidence-based practice in nursing: A guide to successful implementation . http://www.hcmarketplace.com/supplemental/3737_browse.pdf

Colorado State University. (2011). Why assign WID tasks? http://wac.colostate.edu/intro/com6a1.cfm

Dartmouth Writing Program. (2005). Writing in the social sciences . http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/soc_sciences/write.shtml

Rutherford, M. (2008). Standardized nursing language: What does it mean for nursing practice? [Abstract]. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing , 13 (1). http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ThePracticeofProfessionalNursing/Health-IT/StandardizedNursingLanguage.html

Wagner, D. (n.d.). Why writing matters in nursing . https://www.svsu.edu/nursing/programs/bsn/programrequirements/whywritingmatters/

Writing in nursing: Examples. (n.d.). http://www.technorhetoric.net/7.2/sectionone/inman/examples.html

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The Ultimate Guide to Nursing Assignments: 7 Tips and Strategies

Nursing assignments are a critical component of every nursing student’s academic journey. They serve as opportunities to test your knowledge, apply theoretical concepts to real-world scenarios, and develop essential skills necessary for your future nursing career. However, tackling nursing assignments can often be overwhelming, particularly when you’re juggling multiple responsibilities. In this comprehensive guide, we provide valuable tips, strategies, and expert assignment help services to help you excel in your nursing assignments. Whether you’re struggling with research, structuring your assignment, or proofreading, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Understanding the Nursing Assignments

To excel in nursing assignments , it’s crucial to start by thoroughly understanding the requirements. Take the time to carefully read the assignment prompt, paying close attention to the topic, word count, formatting guidelines, and any specific instructions provided by your instructor. Understanding these key components will ensure that you meet all the necessary criteria.

Conducting Thorough Research

Once you have a clear understanding of the assignment, it’s time to conduct thorough research. Solid research forms the foundation of any successful nursing assignment. Begin by gathering relevant and credible sources, such as nursing textbooks, scholarly articles, reputable websites , and academic databases specific to nursing. These resources will provide you with evidence-based information to support your arguments and demonstrate your understanding of the topic.

Creating a Well-Structured Outline

A well-structured outline is essential for organizing your thoughts and ensuring a logical flow in your nursing assignment. An effective outline acts as a roadmap, guiding you through the writing process and ensuring that you cover all the necessary points.

At [Your Service Name], our expert writers can assist you in creating a comprehensive outline tailored to your specific assignment. By collaborating with us, you can receive personalized guidance in organizing your ideas effectively and structuring your assignment in a logical manner. Our writers understand the nuances of nursing assignments and can help you identify the most important concepts and supporting evidence to include.

Using a Professional Tone

Maintaining a professional tone throughout your nursing assignment is crucial. As aspiring healthcare professionals, it’s essential to communicate your ideas with clarity, conciseness, and professionalism. Use clear and concise language, avoiding jargon or slang that may hinder the reader’s understanding. Present your arguments and supporting evidence in a logical and coherent manner, demonstrating your ability to think critically and apply nursing principles.

Our expert writers have extensive experience in academic writing within the field of nursing. They possess a deep understanding of the professional tone required for nursing assignments and can ensure that your assignment is written to the highest standards. By collaborating with us, you can receive guidance in maintaining a professional tone and effectively conveying your ideas.

Incorporating Practical Examples

In addition to a professional tone, incorporating practical examples into your nursing assignment can greatly enhance its quality. Practical examples bring theoretical concepts to life, illustrating their application in real-life scenarios. They demonstrate your understanding of nursing principles and showcase your ability to bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Our team consists of experienced nursing professionals who can assist you in incorporating relevant practical examples into your assignment. Drawing from their extensive knowledge and expertise, they can provide you with real-life scenarios or case studies that strengthen the impact and credibility of your work. By collaborating with us, you can elevate the quality of your assignment by demonstrating your ability to apply nursing concepts in practical settings.

Proofreading and Editing

Proofreading and editing are essential steps in the assignment writing process. They ensure that your nursing assignment is polished, error-free, and effectively communicates your ideas. After completing the initial draft, it’s crucial to take a break and return to your work with fresh eyes. During the proofreading stage, carefully review your assignment for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure. Correct any errors and inconsistencies that may affect the clarity and professionalism of your writing.

At nursingresearchhelp.com , we have a dedicated team of proofreaders and editors who specialize in nursing assignments. They meticulously review your work, ensuring that it adheres to formatting guidelines and meets the highest standards of academic writing. Our proofreaders and editors will help you refine your assignment, ensuring that it is polished and error-free. By collaborating with us, you can rest assured that your assignment will be thoroughly reviewed and refined before submission.

Seeking Help When Needed

In addition to proofreading and editing, it’s important to seek help when needed. Nursing assignments can be challenging, and it’s perfectly normal to require assistance. Whether you’re facing difficulties in understanding the assignment prompt, need guidance in specific areas, or simply want a fresh perspective on your work, don’t hesitate to reach out for support.

Our friendly and knowledgeable support team is always available to address any questions or concerns you may have. We understand the unique challenges faced by nursing students and can provide you with the guidance and clarification you need. By seeking help when needed, you can overcome obstacles and ensure the successful completion of your nursing assignments.

Mastering nursing assignments is within your reach with the right tips, strategies, and expert assignment help services. At nursingresearchhelp.com we are committed to supporting nursing students in excelling in their academic pursuits. Our experienced writers, proofreaders, and editors can provide personalized assistance throughout the assignment writing process, ensuring that your assignments meet the highest standards of quality and professionalism.

With our help, you can confidently tackle your nursing assignments and overcome any challenges you may face. Visit our website nursingresearchhelp.com to learn more about our services and how we can support you in achieving academic excellence. Whether you need guidance in understanding the assignment, conducting thorough research, creating a well-structured outline, using a professional tone, incorporating practical examples, or ensuring a polished final product, we are here to assist you. Trust us for reliable and professional assignment help tailored to your needs.

Don’t let the challenges of nursing assignments hold you back—reach out to us for reliable and professional assignment help tailored to your needs.

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Writing Tips for Nursing School Students

• Nursing School Writing Types
• Writing a Nursing Essay
• Citations Guide
• Common Writing Mistakes
• Writing Resources

Are you ready to earn your online nursing degree?

Writing is an essential skill nurses should achieve proficiency in early in their career. It is a crucial part of the profession, as nurses need to be able to effectively communicate with patients, families, and other healthcare professionals.

While verbal communication also plays a vital role in nursing, being able to write well builds the nurse’s ability to provide better care.

Being able to accurately detail a patient’s personal history, symptoms, and diagnosis allows for the execution of a precise treatment plan that is clearly communicated to all parties involved, both professional and personal.

From registered nurses to clinical nurses and beyond, being able to communicate effectively and efficiently is a critical soft skill that will help nurses in any role increase their ability to treat their patients.

This guide provides an overview of the types of writing nurses will experience throughout their educational training. Utilize the following tips and tricks to help strengthen your writing skills, which will ultimately help in the development of transferable career skills .

Types of Writing Nurses Will Do in School

Personal statements for nursing school.

Nursing schools want candidates who meet academic and professional requirements. They also want a candidate who demonstrates a sincere passion for patient care and individual connections. You should always craft a personal statement, even when the application doesn’t explicitly require one. Personal statements allow you to describe your goals, characteristics, credentials, volunteer work, and meaningful life experiences. A well-crafted essay can help you stand out among other qualified applicants. And, as with any piece of writing, you must take the time to revise.

In your personal statement, you should portray yourself as determined and empathetic, with characteristics, goals, work ethic, and healthcare philosophy that align with a program’s values. Some nursing schools ask for a general personal statement, while others require a specific prompt. Colleges commonly ask students to describe a hardship they overcame, a difficult task they accomplished, or a professional goal they hope to achieve through the program. Many schools also ask students to detail previous experiences in healthcare. You may decide to write about how you connect with patients or how you provide practical and emotional support to loved ones.

You will also encounter writing prompts during examinations, including standardized tests like the GRE or MCAT, nursing school entrance exams , and course-specific evaluations. You may also take exams to get state licensure or professional certification. In most of these instances, you will need to write one or several long-form essays. Proper planning is key. Though you won’t know what specific prompt the test will require, you can expect certain common topics. You can search online or use study guides to determine which prompts usually appear on each test.

On test day, you should begin by creating an outline that lists three main points in response to the prompt. Using these points, work backwards to write a central thesis to guide the essay’s structure. Review what you’ve written to ensure that the essay actually responds to the prompt at hand. Be sure to leave time to correct spelling, grammar, and stylistic errors.

Research Papers

Like essays, research papers follow a long-form structure. Unlike an essay, which heavily relies on the writer’s point of view, a research paper presents an in-depth investigation of a topic using data, expert opinions, and insights. While an essay evaluates general critical thinking and writing skills, a research paper tests your knowledge, research skills, and original contributions. Research papers also allow you to prove you understand what has been argued and discovered about a topic. Research papers, especially at the graduate and doctoral levels, require independent research and analyses. These papers sometimes take months or years to complete.

To write a successful research paper, you should pick a topic relevant to your interests and the nursing field. Possibilities include elderly care challenges, patient safety and ethics, mental health treatment and regulations in the U.S., and nursing shortages and possible solutions. Whatever your choice, you must plan accordingly. Advanced papers such as dissertations may require funding or help from professors. Research papers often consist of the following sections: abstract, introduction, literature review, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, and references. You should keep this general structure in mind as you prepare notes and outlines.

How Do You Write a Nursing Essay?

In nursing school, essay writing includes academic papers, personal narratives, and professional compositions. You should become familiar with each of the five major forms below. There are many similarities between these essay types, such as an overarching thesis and a supportive, logical structure. You should support claims with factual, statistical, anecdotal, and rhetorical evidence. However, each form requires distinct skills to achieve specific results.

Comparative

Cause and effect, citations guide for nursing students.

Citations allow readers to know where information came from. By citing sources, you avoid plagiarizing or stealing another person’s ideas, research, language, and analyses. Whether intentional or unintentional, plagiarism is one of the most egregious errors one can make. Consequences for plagiarism include automatic course failure, disciplinary actions from the university, and even legal repercussions. You should take special care to ensure you properly cite sources.

American Psychological Association (APA) Style

APA is the most commonly used style among natural scientists, social scientists, educators, and nurses. Like other citation styles, APA emphasizes clarity of font style, font size, spacing, and paragraph structure. APA citations focus on publication date, and in most cases, the date comes right after the author’s name. This order makes the style particularly useful for scientists, who value new research and updates on current findings. For more information on APA style, visit this official website .

(Author and year of publication, page number) “Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process” (Foucault, 1977, p. 9).

Chicago Manual of Style (CMS)

CMS (also known as CMOS or, simply, Chicago) features two citation systems, the notes and bibliography, and the author and date. This style is used primarily by historians, who place high importance on a text’s origin. The notes and bibliography include a superscript number with a corresponding footnote or endnote. Scientific professionals use the author and date citation, a generic parenthetical system with similarities to other citation styles. The CMS official website provides additional information, including changes to citation systems in the current edition.

“Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process”. 1 1. Michel Foucault, trans. Alan Sheridan, Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison (New York: Pantheon Books, 1977), 9.

(Author and year of publication, page number) “Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process” (Foucault 1977, 9).

Modern Language Association (MLA) Format

MLA format traces its history to 1951 when it was first published as a thin booklet. Today, MLA is the primary format used by academics and professionals in humanities, English, literature, media studies, and cultural studies. To adapt to the rapid growth of new mediums over the past few decades, MLA updates its citation system. Visit the MLA Style Center for in-depth information on new guidelines and ongoing changes. In general, in text citations consist of author and page number, or just page number if the author’s name appears in the text.

(Author and page number) “Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process” (Foucault 9).

Associated Press (AP) Style

Published in 1952, the original AP Stylebook was marketed to journalists and other professionals related to the Associated Press. AP now stands as the go-to style for professionals in business, public relations, media, mass communications, and journalism. AP style prioritizes brevity and accuracy. The style includes specific guidelines regarding technological terms, titles, locations, and abbreviations and acronyms. Unlike the previous styles, AP does not use parenthetical or in-text citations. Rather, writers cite sources directly in the prose. For more information, including style-checking tools and quizzes, visit the Associated Press Stylebook .

In the book, “Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison,” first published in English in 1977, philosopher Michel Foucault argues that “Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process”.

Which Style Should Nursing Students Use?

Because nurses rely on scientific terms and information, professionals in the field usually use APA style. Regardless of the purpose and specific genre of your text, you should always strive for concise, objective, and evidenced-based writing. You can expect to learn APA style as soon as you enroll in a major course. However, you should also prepare to learn other styles as part of your academic training. For example, freshman composition classes tend to focus on MLA guidelines.

Common Writing Mistakes Students Make

Active vs. passive voice.

Active and passive voice represent two different ways to present the same piece of information. Active voice focuses on the subject performing an action. For example, the dog bites the boy. This format creates clear, concise, and engaging writing. Using active voice, nurses might write, I administered patient care at 11:00. Passive voice, on the other hand, focuses on the object of the sentence or the action being performed. For example, the boy was bitten by the dog. A passive sentence is usually one that contains the verb “to be.” Using passive voice, you might write, patient care was administered at 11:00.

Professionals in the sciences often use passive voice in their writing to create an objective tone and authorial distance. Passive voice can prioritize specific terms, actions, evidence, or research over the writer’s presence. Additionally, nurses use passive voice because it is usually clear that the reported thoughts, actions, and opinions come from them. However, you must also learn how to use active voice.

Punctuation

There are 14 punctuation marks in the English language, each with multiple and sometimes overlapping uses. Additionally, certain punctuation marks only make sense in highly specific and nuanced grammatical instances. To master punctuation, you must learn through practice, particularly by revising your own writing.

For example, colons and semicolons are often used interchangeably, when they actually serve distinct purposes. Generally used before itemized lists, colons stand in for the phrases “here is what I mean” or “that is to say.” For example, I am bringing three things to the picnic: applesauce, napkins, and lemonade. Semicolons separate two independent clauses connected through topic or meaning. For example, It was below zero; Ricardo wondered if he would freeze to death. Comma splices, which create run on sentences, are another common mistake. You can identify a comma splice by learning the differences between an independent and dependent clause.

Grammar refers to the rules of a particular language system. Grammar determines how users can structure words and form sentences with coherent meaning. Aspects include syntax (the arrangement of words to convey their mutual relations in a sentence) and semantics (how individual words and word groups are understood). Unless you major in writing, literature, etymology, or another related field, you generally won’t examine English grammar deeply. Through years of cognitive development and practice, native users implicitly understand how to effectively employ the language.

Distinct grammatical systems exist for each language and, sometimes, even within a single language. For example, African American Vernacular English uses different syntactic rules than General American English. You should learn grammatical terms and definitions. Common errors include subject/verb agreement, sentence fragments, dangling modifiers, and vague or incorrect pronoun usage. Hasty writers can also misuse phonetically similar words (your/you’re, its/it’s, and there/their/they’re).

Writing Resources for Nursing Students

Apa style central, reviewed by:.

Shrilekha Deshaies, MSN, RN

Shri Deshaies is a nurse educator with over 20 years of experience teaching in hospital, nursing school, and community settings. Deshaies’ clinical area of expertise is critical care nursing and she is a certified critical care nurse. She has worked in various surgical ICUs throughout her career, including cardiovascular, trauma, and neurosurgery.

Shri Deshaies is a paid member of our Healthcare Review Partner Network. Learn more about our review partners here .

Page last reviewed November 30, 2021

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How to Ace Your Nursing School Assignments with Ease & Confidence

• Author Jermaine Huey
• Published November 29, 2023

Welcome to NursingWriters.net, the ultimate resource for busy nurses looking to excel in their BSN, MSN, and DNP programs. We understand the challenges that nursing students face when it comes to writing assignments and comprehending complex topics. That’s why we’re here to provide expert information and guidance to help you conquer your nursing school assignments with ease and confidence.

Key Takeaways:

• Building confidence in nursing school assignments is crucial for success as a nursing student.
• Lack of confidence can compromise your ability to perform independently.
• Strategies to build and maintain confidence in nursing school assignments include finding an experienced mentor, building self-confidence, honing time management and organizational skills, continuously building knowledge, asking questions, avoiding comparison, giving compliments, being comfortable in your role, and cultivating positive relationships.
• By implementing these strategies, you can excel in your assignments and succeed in nursing school.

The Importance of Confidence in Nursing Practice

Confidence is a vital component of nursing practice . It plays a crucial role in ensuring competent and safe patient care. When nurses have confidence in their skills and abilities, they are more likely to make effective decisions, communicate assertively, and provide compassionate care.

Lack of confidence, on the other hand, can have a negative impact on nursing professionals. It can lead to anxiety, self-doubt, and even burnout. Nurses who lack confidence may hesitate in critical situations, leading to delayed interventions and compromised patient outcomes.

Building and maintaining confidence in nursing practice requires self-awareness, continuous learning, and a supportive environment. Nurses should regularly reflect on their strengths and areas for improvement, seek mentorship and guidance, and actively participate in professional development activities. By doing so, they can enhance their knowledge, skills, and overall confidence as nursing professionals.

The Role of Self-Awareness in Building Confidence

Self-awareness is an essential aspect of building confidence in nursing practice . It involves recognizing and understanding one’s strengths, limitations, and emotions. By being aware of their capabilities and areas for improvement, nurses can take proactive steps to enhance their skills and boost their confidence.

“Self-awareness is the foundation of personal growth and professional development. It allows nurses to recognize their strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to focus on areas that require improvement. By continuously working on their skills and knowledge, nurses can build confidence and provide high-quality care to their patients.” – NursingWriters.net

In conclusion, confidence is a critical attribute for nurses in providing safe and competent care. Building and maintaining confidence requires self-awareness, continuous learning, and support from mentors and peers. By prioritizing their professional development and seeking opportunities to enhance their skills, nurses can cultivate confidence in their nursing practice and thrive in their roles.

Finding an Experienced Mentor

One of the most effective ways to build confidence as a nurse is by finding an experienced mentor. A mentor can provide valuable support, guidance, and encouragement throughout your nursing journey. They can share their knowledge and wisdom, helping you navigate the challenges that come with being a nurse. Whether you are a nursing student or a seasoned professional, having a mentor by your side can make a significant difference in your confidence levels.

When searching for a mentor, it is important to find someone who is trustworthy, available, and genuinely interested in your professional development. Look for someone who has experience in your field of interest and can provide insights and advice specific to your career goals. A good mentor will be a sounding board for your ideas, a source of inspiration, and someone who can offer constructive feedback to help you grow.

Building a strong mentor-mentee relationship takes time, effort, and commitment from both parties involved. It is important to establish clear expectations and boundaries from the beginning, ensuring that both you and your mentor are on the same page. Regular communication, meetings, and check-ins will help foster a strong connection and ensure that you are getting the guidance and support you need.

Benefits of Having a Mentor

• Gain valuable insights and advice specific to your career goals.
• Receive guidance and support in navigating the challenges of being a nurse.
• Develop a stronger sense of confidence in your nursing abilities.
• Expand your professional network through your mentor’s connections.

“Having a mentor has been a game-changer for me. Their guidance and support have helped me grow both personally and professionally, and I can’t imagine my nursing journey without them.” – Sarah, Registered Nurse

If you are looking to build confidence as a nurse, finding an experienced mentor is a crucial step. Their guidance, support, and encouragement can help you overcome challenges, gain valuable insights, and ultimately become a more confident and competent nurse.

Building Self-Confidence

Building self-confidence is a crucial aspect of becoming a successful nurse. It involves trusting your abilities, embracing your strengths, and continuously working on areas for improvement. By cultivating self-confidence, you can enhance your nursing practice and foster trust in your skills.

One strategy to build self-confidence is to reflect on your past successes. Take the time to acknowledge the positive impact you have made on patients’ lives and the valuable contributions you have made to your healthcare team. Celebrating these accomplishments can boost your self-esteem and reinforce your belief in your nursing abilities.

Additionally, seeking out opportunities for professional development can contribute to building self-confidence. This can include attending workshops, conferences, and continuing education courses to broaden your knowledge and skills. The more you invest in your professional growth, the more confident you will feel in your ability to provide optimal patient care.

“Confidence comes not from always being right, but from not fearing to be wrong.” – Peter T. McIntyre

It is also important to surround yourself with a supportive network. Seek out mentors or experienced colleagues who can offer guidance and encouragement. Their wisdom and insights can help you navigate challenges and build confidence in your nursing practice. Additionally, connecting with like-minded peers through professional associations or online communities can provide a sense of camaraderie and support.

Remember, building self-confidence is an ongoing journey. It requires self-reflection, continuous learning, and embracing challenges as opportunities for growth. By nurturing your self-confidence, you can establish trust in your nursing skills and provide excellent care to your patients.

Hone Time Management and Organizational Skills

Effective time management and organizational skills are essential for nurses to perform their duties efficiently and provide high-quality care. Nurses often juggle multiple tasks and responsibilities, and without proper time management, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed. By honing these skills, nurses can optimize their workflow, enhance productivity, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

One strategy for effective time management is creating a prioritized to-do list. By identifying and prioritizing tasks based on urgency and importance, nurses can focus on completing critical tasks first while ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks. Additionally, setting realistic deadlines and allocating specific time slots for each task can help nurses stay organized and maintain a structured approach to their work.

Organizational skills are equally important in nursing practice. Developing systems for organizing patient information, supplies, and equipment can streamline workflows and reduce the likelihood of errors or delays. Implementing standardized protocols and utilizing technology tools, such as electronic medical records, can further enhance organization and efficiency in nursing practice.

Importance of Efficient Nursing Work

Efficient nursing work not only benefits individual nurses but also positively impacts patient care and the overall healthcare system. When nurses manage their time effectively and maintain organizational systems, they can devote more attention to direct patient care, fostering better patient-provider relationships and ensuring comprehensive, timely care.

In addition, efficient nursing work can contribute to a positive work environment. When nurses are able to complete their tasks efficiently, it reduces stress and burnout, leading to increased job satisfaction and morale. This, in turn, can enhance teamwork and collaboration among healthcare providers, creating a supportive and effective care environment.

Continuous Knowledge Building

Continuous knowledge building is essential for nurses to excel in their practice. In the ever-evolving field of healthcare, staying updated with the latest advancements, procedures, and evidence-based practices is crucial. By continuously expanding their knowledge, nurses can enhance their critical thinking skills and make informed decisions in patient care.

Nursing is a profession that requires constant learning and adaptation. By keeping up-to-date with new research, guidelines, and protocols, nurses can ensure that they are providing the highest quality of care to their patients. This includes staying informed about the latest treatment options, technological advancements, and best practices in nursing.

“The more knowledge and information we have as nurses, the better equipped we are to provide safe and effective care,” says Jane Smith, a registered nurse with over 15 years of experience. “Continuous knowledge building not only instills confidence in our abilities, but it also allows us to stay ahead in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape.”

The Benefits of Continuous Knowledge Building

Continuous knowledge building offers several benefits for nurses. It helps them stay current with the latest evidence-based practices, which in turn improves patient outcomes. By regularly expanding their knowledge, nurses can enhance their critical thinking skills, enabling them to assess complex situations and make informed decisions in patient care. Additionally, continuous learning allows nurses to stay updated with advancements in technology and new treatment modalities.

Continuous knowledge building is not only important for individual nurses but also for the profession as a whole. By staying informed and sharing knowledge, nurses contribute to the advancement of nursing practice and drive innovation in healthcare.

The Importance of Asking Questions

In the nursing profession, asking questions plays a crucial role in fostering a culture of knowledge, growth, and innovation. Nurses who actively engage in asking questions demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning and improvement in their practice. By seeking clarity, gathering information, and challenging assumptions, nurses can make informed decisions and provide the best possible care to their patients.

Asking questions not only helps nurses expand their knowledge base but also enhances their critical thinking skills. By actively listening to patients, colleagues, and other healthcare professionals, nurses can identify gaps in their understanding and address those gaps through further inquiry. This process of active inquiry and critical thinking strengthens nurses’ confidence in their abilities and enables them to provide more comprehensive and effective care.

By asking questions, nurses also contribute to a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to patient care. Open-ended questions encourage dialogue and information sharing among healthcare teams, leading to improved communication and coordination. The ability to ask thoughtful and relevant questions demonstrates professional competence and fosters a culture of collaboration and teamwork.

Benefits of Asking Questions in Nursing:

• Expanded knowledge: Asking questions promotes ongoing learning and helps nurses stay updated with the latest evidence-based practices.
• Enhanced critical thinking: Through active inquiry, nurses develop their critical thinking skills, allowing them to analyze complex situations and make informed decisions.
• Improved patient care: By seeking clarification and gathering information, nurses can provide more personalized and effective care to their patients.
• Collaborative approach: Asking questions encourages dialogue and collaboration among healthcare professionals, leading to improved teamwork and patient outcomes.

Asking questions is an essential skill for nurses at all stages of their careers. It promotes a culture of curiosity, innovation, and lifelong learning. By embracing the power of inquiry, nurses can continually improve their practice, enhance patient care, and build confidence in their abilities.

Avoiding Comparison in Nursing: Embracing Your Individual Journey

Comparison is a common trap that many nursing students fall into, leading to self-doubt and a lack of confidence in their abilities. It’s important to remember that each nursing journey is unique, and comparing yourself to others can be detrimental to your own growth and development. Instead, focus on embracing your individual journey and celebrating your own accomplishments.

When you compare yourself to others, you are only seeing a small part of the picture. Each nurse brings their own strengths and weaknesses to the table, and it’s these differences that make the nursing profession so diverse and valuable. By avoiding comparison, you can create a more supportive and collaborative environment where everyone can thrive.

One way to avoid comparison is by shifting your mindset from competition to collaboration. View your colleagues as teammates rather than competitors, recognizing that each person has something valuable to contribute. By working together and supporting one another, you can foster a positive and uplifting atmosphere that promotes confidence and growth.

Remember, your nursing journey is about becoming the best nurse you can be, not trying to be like someone else. Embrace your uniqueness and focus on your own progress and achievements. By doing so, you’ll not only build confidence in your nursing practice but also inspire others to do the same.

• Avoid comparing yourself to others in the nursing profession.
• Embrace your individual nursing journey and celebrate your own accomplishments.
• Shift your mindset from competition to collaboration, viewing your colleagues as teammates rather than competitors.
• Focus on your own progress and achievements, building confidence in your nursing practice.

The Power of Compliments

In the nursing profession, creating a positive and motivating work environment is crucial for both patient care and the well-being of healthcare professionals. One simple yet powerful way to cultivate this environment is through the act of giving compliments. Praising your colleagues and recognizing their accomplishments not only boosts their confidence but also fosters a sense of camaraderie and teamwork.

Compliments serve as a reminder of the value of the nursing profession and the impact that each individual can make. By acknowledging the hard work and dedication of your colleagues, you contribute to a positive nursing culture that encourages continued growth and development. Compliments also help to create a supportive and uplifting atmosphere, where everyone feels appreciated and motivated to continue delivering high-quality care.

Remember, when giving compliments, be specific and sincere. Highlight the strengths and achievements of your colleagues and the positive impact they have on patient outcomes. Whether it’s praising their clinical skills, their compassion and empathy, or their ability to handle challenging situations, your words have the power to inspire and uplift.

Finding Comfort in Your Nursing Role

Feeling comfortable in your nursing role is essential for building confidence in your job. One way to achieve this is by focusing on a nursing specialty that you enjoy and feel passionate about. Whether it’s pediatrics, critical care, or geriatrics, finding a specialty that aligns with your interests can help you develop expertise and excel in your chosen area of nursing.

By specializing in a particular field, you can concentrate your efforts on gaining knowledge and refining your skills within that specialty. This focused approach allows you to become more confident in your abilities and provides a sense of fulfillment as you become a trusted resource in your area of expertise. Remember, confidence comes from competence, and specializing in a nursing role that you feel comfortable in can significantly contribute to your overall job satisfaction.

Furthermore, finding comfort in your nursing role involves continuously seeking growth opportunities and staying up-to-date with the latest advancements in your specialty. This could mean attending conferences, workshops, or webinars, or even pursuing additional certifications or advanced degrees. By investing in your professional development, you not only enhance your knowledge and skills, but you also demonstrate a commitment to providing the best possible care to your patients.

Ultimately, finding comfort in your nursing role is a journey that requires self-reflection, exploration, and ongoing learning. It’s about finding where your passion and skills align and continuously working towards becoming the best nurse you can be. By embracing your nursing specialty and investing in your professional growth, you can cultivate the confidence needed to excel in your role and make a positive impact on the lives of your patients.

Table: Comparison of Job Confidence in Different Nursing Specialties

Building confidence in nursing school assignments is essential for nursing students. At NursingWriters.net, we understand the unique challenges that nursing students face when it comes to writing and comprehension. That’s why our nursing writing service is here to provide expert information and guidance to help you excel in your BSN, MSN, and DNP programs.

By following the strategies highlighted in this article, you can cultivate the confidence needed to succeed in nursing school. Finding an experienced mentor who can provide support and guidance is crucial. Building self-confidence and honing your time management and organizational skills will help you stay on top of your assignments and reduce stress.

Continuous knowledge building and asking questions are key to expanding your nursing skills and staying up to date in the field. Remember to avoid comparing yourself to others and instead focus on your own growth. By giving compliments and fostering positive relationships, you can create a motivating and supportive nursing environment.

Lastly, finding comfort in your nursing role and specializing in an area you enjoy will boost your confidence in your abilities. With these strategies in place, you can tackle your nursing school assignments with ease and confidence, paving the way for success in your nursing career.

How can I build confidence in my nursing school assignments?

Building confidence in nursing school assignments is essential for nursing students. By finding an experienced mentor, building self-confidence, honing time management and organizational skills, continuously building knowledge, asking questions, avoiding comparison, giving compliments, being comfortable in your role, and cultivating positive relationships, nursing students can excel in their assignments and succeed in nursing school.

Why is confidence important in nursing practice?

Confidence is necessary for nurses to provide competent and safe patient care. Lack of confidence can lead to anxiety and burnout among nursing professionals. Nursing standards of conduct require confidence in nursing skills and practice.

How can I find an experienced mentor in nursing?

Having an experienced nurse mentor can provide support, guidance, and a listening ear for nursing students. Mentors should be trustworthy, encouraging, and available for professional development. Mentors can help alleviate anxiety and boost confidence in both mentors and mentees.

What can I do to build self-confidence in nursing?

Building self-confidence begins with each individual. Trusting your decisions and acting with self-confidence inspires confidence from others. Displaying self-confidence in your skills and actions as a nurse will elicit trust from patients and colleagues.

How can time management and organizational skills help me in nursing?

Time management and organizational skills are vital for nurses. Effective time management leads to efficient work, high-quality care, and reduced stress. Organizational skills help nurses stay on top of tasks and protocols, leading to improved productivity and impressions. Nurses with strong organizational abilities are more likely to advance in their careers.

How can I continuously build knowledge in nursing?

Nursing relies heavily on critical thinking skills. Staying up to date on procedures and expanding knowledge is crucial for making informed patient care decisions and effectively communicating with healthcare team members. Continuous knowledge building enhances confidence in nursing practice.

Why is asking questions important in nursing?

Asking questions is a critical skill in nursing. Both closed and open-ended questions help nurses gather information, seek clarification, and foster innovation. Active listening is essential to know what questions to ask. Asking questions builds expertise and confidence in nursing practice.

How can I avoid comparing myself to others in nursing?

Comparing yourself to others can be detrimental to confidence. Each nursing journey is unique, and everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. Focus on your individual growth and refrain from comparing yourself to others. Your colleagues are your teammates, not your competitors.

How can compliments create a positive nursing environment?

Complimenting your colleagues and recognizing their accomplishments can create a positive and motivating work environment. Praising others reinforces the importance of nursing and reminds you of the value of your profession. Building a positive nursing environment boosts confidence for everyone involved.

How can I find comfort in my nursing role?

Feeling comfortable in your nursing role enhances confidence. Focus on a nursing specialty that you enjoy and develop your skills in that area. By specializing and honing your knowledge, you will feel more confident in your abilities in that specific job setting.

Jermaine Huey

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Mastering Nursing Case Study Assignments: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction: Nursing case study assignments are an integral part of nursing education, allowing students to apply their theoretical knowledge to real-world patient scenarios. Mastering these assignments requires a deep understanding of the process and techniques involved. At Nurse Homework s, we are dedicated to helping nursing students excel in their case study assignments. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the importance of nursing case study assignments, provide step-by-step approaches, offer tips for effective research and analysis, and highlight common mistakes to avoid. Additionally, we will showcase examples of successful nursing case study assignments to inspire and guide your own work.

Understanding Nursing Case Study Assignments

Table of Contents

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Gain a solid understanding of what nursing case study assignments entail. Learn about the purpose of these assignments, their relevance to nursing education, and the skills they help develop. Explore the different components typically included in nursing case study assignments and how they contribute to a holistic understanding of patient care.

Importance of Nursing Case Study Assignments

Discover the significance of nursing case study assignments in your academic and professional journey. Understand how these assignments help you develop critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and decision-making skills essential for nursing practice. Learn how nursing case studies bridge the gap between theory and practice, preparing you to provide high-quality, evidence-based care to patients.

Steps to Approach a Nursing Case Study Assignment

Follow a systematic approach to effectively tackle nursing case study assignments. Learn how to carefully analyze the case study, conduct comprehensive research, and organize your thoughts. Understand the importance of data collection, patient assessment, nursing diagnoses, interventions, and evaluation. These step-by-step guidelines will help you navigate through the assignment with confidence.

Tips for Effective Research in Nursing Case Studies

Research is a crucial aspect of nursing case study assignments. Explore tips and strategies for conducting effective research, including utilizing reputable sources, incorporating evidence-based practice, and staying up-to-date with current literature. Learn how to critically evaluate research findings and apply them to your case study analysis.

Analyzing and Interpreting Data in Nursing Case Studies

Master the art of analyzing and interpreting data in nursing case studies. Discover techniques for identifying key information, recognizing patterns, and formulating nursing diagnoses. Understand how to critically analyze patient data to develop a comprehensive understanding of the case and make informed decisions in your nursing interventions.

Developing a Clear and Concise Nursing Case Study Report

Learn how to effectively communicate your findings in a clear and concise manner. Understand the importance of structuring your report, using appropriate nursing terminology, and presenting your analysis in a logical flow. Explore strategies for creating a well-organized and professional nursing case study report that effectively conveys your knowledge and insights.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Nursing Case Study Assignments

Identify common pitfalls and errors that students often encounter in nursing case study assignments. Learn how to avoid these mistakes, such as inaccuracies in data interpretation, lack of evidence-based practice, or insufficient analysis. By recognizing these pitfalls, you can ensure the quality and credibility of your work.

Examples of Successful Nursing Case Study Assignments

Gain inspiration from real-life examples of successful nursing case study assignments. Explore exemplary case studies that showcase effective approaches, insightful analysis, and evidence-based interventions. These examples serve as valuable references to guide and inspire your own work.

Resources for Further Learning and Practice in Nursing Case Studies

Access additional resources to enhance your understanding and practice of nursing case studies. Discover recommended textbooks, online databases, research journals, and professional organizations that provide valuable insights, research articles, and educational materials to support your learning journey.

Conclusion: Mastering Nursing Case Study Assignments

In conclusion, mastering nursing case study assignments is essential

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How To Write the Perfect Nursing Care Plan with Examples

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Struggling to Write a Nursing Care Plan

I recently met a nursing student named, Sarah who had just started on her journey to become a nurse.  She was struggling with writing nursing care plans.  Sarah struggled with gathering comprehensive patient information, identifying appropriate nursing diagnoses, and formulating effective interventions.

Writing a nursing care plan is an essential skill that every nursing student should master. It serves as a roadmap for providing individualized and effective care to your patients.

In this blog post, you will:

• Know what a nursing care plan is

Purpose of Nursing Care Plans

• Know the 5 Steps to Writing a Nursing Care Plan
• Be provided with 3 Nursing care plan examples

Before we dive into this blog post I know how difficult learning everything in nursing school can be.  That is why I am offering you a free nursing mnemonic cheat sheet.  Just click below to get your copy!

Alright, lets begin!

What is a Nursing Care Plan

A Nursing Care Plan is the way a nurse documents and communicates the Nursing Process. Nursing care plans are one of the most common assignments in nursing school and can be a valuable resource in the clinical setting. They start when a patient is admitted and document all activities and changes in the patient’s condition. Using a care plan will encourage patient-centered care and make your nursing care more consistent. These plans are also a great communication tool among nurses, other healthcare professionals, patients, and their families. Nursing students learn to assess a patient, make a nursing diagnosis, create a plan, implement the plan, and evaluate the plan to ensure best practices and outcomes. This process teaches them to problem-solve and make critical decisions. A nursing care plan helps nurses organize their day, know when things need to be accomplished, and balance their workload.

The nursing care plan serves as a communication tool between healthcare professionals, ensuring a coordinated approach to patient care. It guides nurses in delivering evidence-based, patient-centered care, while also promoting continuity of care among different healthcare providers. Nursing care plans are essential in various healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities. They facilitate efficient and effective care delivery, enhance patient outcomes, and promote individualized care tailored to each patient's unique needs.

Nursing Care Plans are a written form of The Nursing Process. These plans ensure nurses deliver consistent, patient-centered, and holistic care. Each step in the nursing process is covered in the nursing care plan and helps nurses plan, implement, and evaluate nursing care.

• Assessment - The first step in delivering nursing care. It collects and analyzes physiological, psychological, sociocultural, spiritual, economic, and lifestyle factors data.
• Diagnosis  - Using the data, patient feedback, and clinical judgment to form nursing diagnoses. The diagnosis considers the patient’s signs, symptoms, pain, and the problems their condition has caused, such as anxiety, poor nutrition, conflict with family, and complications that may arise. The nursing diagnosis is the basis for the care plan. 
• Planning - Setting short-term and long-term goals based on the nurse’s assessment and diagnosis.  Ideally, with input from the patient. This is where you determine nursing interventions to meet these goals.
• Implementation  -  Implementing nursing care according to the care plan, based on the patient’s health conditions and the nursing diagnosis. This is where you will document the care the nurse performs. 
• Evaluation  - Monitoring and documenting the patient’s status and progress toward meeting the planned goals. This allows you to modify the care plan as needed. 

5 Steps to Writing a Nursing Care Plan

Writing a nursing care plan can seem overwhelming, but breaking it down into five simple steps can make the process more manageable. Here are five steps to help you write a nursing care plan:

Step 1 – Collect Information (Assess)

Gather relevant data about the patient's health status, medical history, current condition, and other pertinent factors. It involves systematically obtaining and organizing information to inform the development of the care plan.

• Head-to-toe-assessment
• Conversations with your patients and loved ones
• Observations (lab values, vital signs)
• Report (or your report sheet)
• Chart review notes
• Discussions with the healthcare team members

Step 2 – Analyze the Information (Diagnose & Prioritize)

Critically examining and interpreting the collected information and data to identify patterns, relationships, and underlying factors related to the patient's health condition. It involves synthesizing the information to gain a comprehensive understanding of the patient's needs and develop appropriate nursing diagnoses and interventions.

• Look at all information
• What are areas in which this patient has trouble and therefore needs to progress in?
• Think about the ways you could see the patient improving and how you would know they were improving
• Write down the general issues, how you’d help them progress in that area, and how you’d know they were progressing

Step 3 – Think About How (Plan, Implement, & Evaluate)

The process of critical thinking and considering various factors and possibilities when developing the plan. It involves evaluating different options, anticipating potential outcomes, and making informed decisions based on the patient's unique needs and circumstances.

• How did you know he was in pain? Did he tell you? Did you observe it? Was he getting pain medications?
• Write an S or an O next to them
• A recent surgery, trauma, or disease process?
• Write all of your reasons (again in layman's terms) under the problem(s) you’ve identified.
• What would you do to make this better? (Interventions)
• How would you know it got better? (Evaluation)

Step 4 – Translate

The process of converting the collected information, nursing diagnoses, goals, and interventions into clear and actionable language that can be easily understood and implemented by the healthcare team. 

• Take your textbooks (NANDA-I, NIC, NOC, or whatever you may be using)
• Look up the official terms for the problem(s) and write them down
• Look up outcomes and interventions that may align with what you wrote down

Step 5 – Transcribe

The process of accurately documenting the care plan in a written format. It involves transferring the information, including nursing diagnoses, goals, and interventions, into a standardized care plan document or electronic medical record.

• Get your nursing care plan template out
• Put the pieces together (problem + related to factor(s) + defining characteristics/”hows”)
• Use your S’s and O’s to place your subjective and objective data
• Write out your interventions and outcomes/evaluation

3 Nursing Care Plan Examples

Sometimes all you need are a few examples to help you learn how to do a difficult task and to get the brain juices flowing.  Here are 3 care plans that I personally wrote during nursing school.

Nursing Care Plan Example 1

Medical diagnosis: abdominal pain.

Pathophysiology of Abdominal Pain: 

Abdominal pain can be a minor issue that is easy to resolve or a medical emergency. Many different things can cause abdominal pain and their pathophysiology can differ widely. Abdominal pain can is classified as either acute or chronic. When a patient presents to the emergency department or outpatient environment with abdominal pain, it generally constitutes a lengthy workup to determine the cause and its pathophysiology. Additionally, abdominal pain can be referred pain, which can complicate the clinical picture even further.

Etiology of Abdominal Pain

Abdominal pain can be the result of pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, trauma, a long list of gastric issues (gastroenteritis, constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, GERD, Chron’s disease, appendicitis, to name a few), hernias, allergic response, endometriosis, gallstones, severe menstrual cramps, hepatitis, miscarriage, and many more. Many disease processes result in abdominal pain, and some may present with abdominal pain even though it is not the typical clinical picture.

Desired Outcome

Cease painful stimuli, resolve the underlying cause, and minimize any subsequent damage.

Making an individualized assessment of abdominal pain begins by focusing on the available background information of the patient: health history, current health status, psychological state, and other relevant data.

Subjective Data: Subjective data is information or symptoms reported by the patient. These include feelings, perceptions, and concerns obtained by the patient interview. In the case of abdominal pain, a patient might report feeling:

• Abdominal pain
• Decreased appetite
• Rebound tenderness
• Muscle tension
• Restlessness

Objective Data: Objective data is observable and measurable data, or signs, obtained through observation, physical examination, and laboratory or diagnostic testing. In the case of abdominal pain, a patient may present with:

• Constipation
• Electrolyte imbalances

A nursing diagnosis is a basis for establishing and carrying out a nursing care plan. After performing a proper assessment, formulate a nursing diagnosis based on problems associated with abdominal pain. This will be your clinical judgment about the patient’s health conditions or needs. Select the appropriate nursing diagnostic label from the NANDA-I list of approved nursing diagnostic statements that best identify with the patient’s signs and symptoms. One or more nursing diagnoses may be given.

Planning / Outcomes

Care plan goals form the basis of nursing intervention. Think of these goals as “what the patient will do” and clearly state easy to measure, realistic descriptions of the patient’s expected outcomes. In the case of abdominal pain, a plan may include:

• Return to normal bowel movements
• Taking medications
• Receiving fluids
• Understanding their condition and treatment

Implementation

Implementations are actions and activities you will take to achieve the nursing plan goals. In the case of abdominal pain, an implementation may include:

• Encourage evacuation
• Encourage eating
• Administer medications as prescribed
• Provide fluids
• Educate the patient and family members

The evaluation of our nursing plan involves an organized, ongoing, and intentional assessment of the achievement of set goals and desired outcomes. A good review of our care plan helps determine whether to continue, stop, or change the selected interventions. In our abdominal pain example, an evaluation might include:

• The patient had 2 normal bowel movements
• The patient ate 3 meals
• Patient took medications
• Patient received fluids
• The patient understood information about their care

Nursing Care Plan Example 2

Medical diagnosis: infection.

Pathophysiology of Infection: 

An infection is a disease caused by microorganisms infecting tissues. 

Etiology of Infection

The organisms that can cause disease are very diverse that include viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. You can acquire such infections by contaminated food/water, a bite, cut, or being in contact with someone with an infection.

Patient will remain free from infection and demonstrate proper hand hygiene

Subjective Data: Subjective data is information or symptoms reported by the patient. These include feelings, perceptions, and concerns obtained by the patient interview. In the case of infection, a patient might report feeling:

• Muscle aches
• Sore throat

Objective Data: Objective data is observable and measurable data, or signs, obtained through observation, physical examination, and laboratory or diagnostic testing. In the case of infection, a patient may present with:

• Tachycardia
• Elevated WBC count
• Redness/swelling/heat/drainage from wound

Risk for Infection related to compromised skin integrity and invasive procedures.

Care plan goals form the basis of nursing intervention. Think of these goals as “what the patient will do” and clearly state easy to measure, realistic descriptions of the patient’s expected outcomes. In the case of infection, a plan may include:

• The patient will maintain intact skin and mucous membranes.
• The patient will demonstrate understanding of infection prevention techniques.
• The patient's vital signs will remain within normal limits.
• The patient will report a decrease in signs and symptoms of infection.
• The patient will be free from healthcare-associated infections.

Implementations are actions and activities you will take to achieve the nursing plan goals. In the case of infection, an implementation may include:

• Assess the patient's skin integrity, paying close attention to areas at risk for infection such as surgical wounds, intravenous (IV) sites, and urinary catheter insertion sites.
• Implement proper hand hygiene techniques before and after providing care to the patient.
• Promote adequate hydration and provide a balanced diet to enhance the immune system.
• Educate the patient on proper wound care techniques, including keeping the wound clean, dry, and covered with appropriate dressings.
• Administer prescribed antibiotics and other medications as ordered.
• Monitor the patient's vital signs regularly and report any abnormalities or signs of infection promptly.

The evaluation of our nursing plan involves an organized, ongoing, and intentional assessment of the achievement of set goals and desired outcomes. A good review of our care plan helps determine whether to continue, stop, or change the selected interventions. In infection example, an evaluation might include:

• Assess the patient's skin regularly to ensure integrity and identify any signs of infection.
• Evaluate the patient's understanding and implementation of infection prevention techniques.
• Monitor vital signs and note any abnormalities.
• Assess the patient for any improvement in signs and symptoms of infection.
• Evaluate the patient's risk for healthcare-associated infections and implement appropriate preventive measures.

Nursing Care Plan Example 3

Medical diagnosis: fluid volume deficit.

Pathophysiology of Fluid Volume Deficit: 

Fluid Volume deficit (dehydration) is a state or condition where the fluid output exceeds the fluid intake. The body loses both water and electrolytes from the ECF in similar proportions. Common sources are the gastrointestinal tract, polyuria, and increased perspiration.

Common causes are decreased fluid intake, bleeding, diarrhea, diuresis, abnormal drainage, increased metabolic rate, movement of fluid into third space, and abnormal losses through the skin, GI tract, or kidneys.

Patient has normal vital signs. Demonstrates adequate lifestyle changes to avoid dehydration. Patient has normal urine output

Subjective Data: Subjective data is information or symptoms reported by the patient. These include feelings, perceptions, and concerns obtained by the patient interview. In the case of Fluid Volume Deficit, a patient might report feeling:

• Weakness 
• Extreme thirst 

Objective Data: Objective data is observable and measurable data, or signs, obtained through observation, physical examination, and laboratory or diagnostic testing. In the case of Fluid Volume Deficit, a patient may present with:

• Alterations in mental state
• Weight loss
• Concentrated urine/decreased urine output
• Dry mucous membranes
• Weak pulse/tachycardia
• Decreased skin turgor
• Hypotension
• Postural hypotension
• Sunken eyes/cheeks

Diagnosis for Fluid Volume Deficit

Fluid Volume Deficit related to excessive fluid loss (e.g., vomiting, diarrhea, hemorrhage) as evidenced by decreased urine output, dry mucous membranes, and decreased skin turgor.

Planning / Outcomes for Fluid Volume Deficit

Care plan goals form the basis of nursing intervention. Think of these goals as “what the patient will do” and clearly state easy to measure, realistic descriptions of the patient’s expected outcomes. In the case of Fluid Volume Deficit, a plan may include:

• The patient will maintain adequate fluid balance as evidenced by stable vital signs and improved hydration status.
• The patient will maintain optimal tissue perfusion.
• The patient will demonstrate understanding of fluid management and prevention of fluid volume deficit.

Implementation for Fluid Volume Deficit

Implementations are actions and activities you will take to achieve the nursing plan goals. In the case of Fluid Volume Deficit, an implementation may include:

• Assess and monitor vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature, to identify signs of hypovolemia.
• Measure and record the patient's intake and output accurately to assess fluid balance.
• Monitor daily weights to track changes in fluid status.
• Encourage and assist the patient with oral fluid intake as tolerated, offering small, frequent sips of water or other fluids.
• Administer IV fluids as prescribed, ensuring accurate infusion rates and monitoring for any adverse reactions.
• Assess the patient's skin turgor, mucous membranes, and capillary refill time regularly to evaluate hydration status.
• Collaborate with the healthcare team to determine the underlying cause of fluid volume deficit and address it accordingly (e.g., treating the underlying infection or stopping excessive fluid losses).
• Monitor laboratory values, including electrolytes and hematocrit levels, and collaborate with the healthcare team to make any necessary adjustments to fluid therapy.

Evaluation for Fluid Volume Deficit

The evaluation of our nursing plan involves an organized, ongoing, and intentional assessment of the achievement of set goals and desired outcomes. A good review of our care plan helps determine whether to continue, stop, or change the selected interventions. In Fluid Volume Deficit example, an evaluation might include:

• Monitor and document the patient's vital signs and fluid intake and output regularly.
• Assess the patient's hydration status, including skin turgor, mucous membranes, and capillary refill time.
• Evaluate the patient's response to fluid therapy, including improvement in vital signs and hydration status.
• Assess the patient's understanding and implementation of fluid management strategies.
• Collaborate with the healthcare team to determine the need for further interventions or adjustments to the care plan.

Mastering the Art of Writing the Perfect Nursing Care Plan

Mastering the art of writing the perfect nursing care plan is crucial for delivering effective and individualized patient care.

By following the five essential steps -

• Collect Information (Assess)
• Analyze the Information (Diagnose & Prioritize)
• Think About How (Plan, Implement, & Evaluate)

You can create comprehensive care plans that address the unique needs of each patient.

Remember to utilize evidence-based practice, collaborate with the healthcare team, and continuously evaluate and modify the care plan as needed. With these strategies in place, you can confidently navigate the complexities of care planning, ensuring optimal patient outcomes and promoting the highest standards of nursing practice.

You Can Do This

Happy Nursing!

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How to Write an Admission Essay for Nursing School

The nursing school admission process is rigorous. One of the critical requirements for new applicants is an application essay, and writing a compelling nursing essay will give you a major head start over other nursing school candidates.

Once you have figured out why you want to be a nurse, all your memories, accomplishments, ambitions, and goals will align. Therefore, writing an essay on why you are interested in becoming a nurse and selecting a specific nursing college or university allows the admissions team to understand why they should choose you over other candidates.

A well-written, organized, and polished nursing school essay automatically increases your chances of acceptance. With thousands of applications destined for assessment and judgment by the admissions committee, you would want to make your application essay for the nursing school admission stand out.

We have admission essay-writing experts and consultants who, luckily, have compiled this intensive guide to help you write an intentional, focused, and perfect essay for nursing school.

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What Is a Nursing School Essay?

A nursing school essay is a written piece that demonstrates your interest in a nursing career and elaborates why you are the perfect fit for a specific nursing program.

Most nursing schools (colleges and universities) require aspiring students to write an application essay for nursing school admission. It is a personal essay submitted as part of the application process, which the admission officers review to determine if you can be accepted.

A good nursing school essay shows your interest in the nursing field, your chosen career path, why you want to pursue your nursing education through a specific nursing school program, and why you believe you should be accepted into the institution. It has to show why the entire process is crucial to you and why you are a worthy candidate to select for the nursing school program.

Sometimes, it is the only hope one has left, especially if the competition is stiff. Imagine a situation where the application materials such as grades, resumes, test scores, or recommendation letters are all qualified; a nursing school essay will be the only means to select the best out of the rest fairly.

Writing a perfect nursing essay will demonstrate that you are ready to go down the thorny path of training to become a nurse. Nursing education entails research and writing assignments, and a well-written essay demonstrates your readiness.

Helpful Information to Include in a Nursing Admission Essay

You are probably wondering what goes into an application essay for nursing school admission. Well, your nursing essay will answer an essay prompt from the university. Most colleges will specify the essay questions for college of nursing applicants for various levels of study (MSN, DNP, BSN, Ph.D., or ADN).

Below are some examples of what might be expected:

• Your goals and ambitions for a successful nursing career
• How do you plan to achieve your academic goals
• The specific reasons why you want to join the nursing field
• Reasons you are selecting the particular nursing school or program
• Personal accomplishments that set you apart as the right candidate
• Experiences and encounters that make you love nursing career
• Plans for the future once accepted
• Experience with medical training or patient care
• Character traits aligned to being a nurse
• How you are prepared to become a successful nurse
• Academic, personal, and career interests
• Any other reasons to convince the admissions committee to approve your admission

In some quarters, a nursing school application essay might be a statement of purpose, personal essay, or letter of intent. It is a chance to plead with the admissions committee to accept you into your dream nursing college or program. Having looked at what goes into it, it is also essential to cover the steps to writing a perfect and comprehensive admission essay for nursing school.

Structure of a Nursing School Essay

A nursing essay for admission into a nursing program or school follows the typical format of an academic essay. It is organized into three main sections: introduction, body, and conclusion.

Introduction

• This is the opening paragraph that has to impress your readers (admissions officers)
• It can make or break your admission essay or personal statement
• It should be direct to the point
• It is a roadmap that helps the readers to know what to expect as your story grows.
• Open it using an enticing quote, event, anecdote, or statement
• You are allowed to use personal pronouns such as I in the introduction and the rest of the essay
• It has 2- 3 and sometimes five paragraphs
• Elaborates the introduction
• Every paragraph has a unique opening sentence that is a mini-thesis statement.
• Bears the best ideas yielded in your brainstorming session
• It can be as long as your word limit allows but contributes to at least 70-80% of the word count
• Focuses on quality over quantity
• Has one idea or experience per paragraph
• You should mention the skills you intend to develop and how they will help you become a successful nurse
• Connect the skills and experiences to the program and your future career
• Summarize and emphasize the main ideas
• It should be captivating and insightful
• Conveys a sense of closure to the readers
• Invites the readers to reflect on the ideas in your essay
• Creates one last lasting impression on the readers

Outline for a Nursing School Essay

A good nursing school essay outline should give you directions that help you visualize what the essay will look like in its final draft.

If you are writing a nursing essay, having the outline is the first thing you do after brainstorming (as shown in the steps).

It helps you to figure out how to arrange the ideas and points in the essay for a better flow. You can develop each section independently, regardless of the sequence, and still have a quality essay. 

In most cases, the outline is meant for personal consumption, especially when writing a personal statement. However, if you are writing a nursing essay on a given nursing topic , you might be required to write an outline, annotated bibliography , and the nursing essay , and each will be graded separately.

Given the structure, you can outline your nursing school essay as follows:

    Introduction paragraph

• Hook (quote, statement, or anecdote)
• Background information
• Thesis statement
• Transition sentence

    Body paragraph 1

• Topic sentence
• Evidence, data, and facts
• Transition to the second body paragraph

    Body paragraph 2

• Transition to the third body paragraph

    Body paragraph 3

• Transition to the conclusion

    Conclusion

• Summary of the main ideas
• Restate the thesis statement
• Last impression (call to action to the admissions committee)

Steps for Writing a Nursing School Essay

Optimizing your application essay increases your chance of getting accepted into the nursing program or nursing school. The essay should elaborate on your person (who you are as an individual) by providing a comprehensive perspective of your career ambitions, goals, and plans related to your passion for nursing. You should elaborate to the admissions committee why you are a good fit for their nursing program. Students at the ADN, BSN, ABSN (Accelerated BSN), MSN, DNP, or Ph.D. might be required to write an admission or personal essay, and here are the five steps to make it successful.

• Read the prompt
• Brainstorm for ideas
• Plan your essay
• Write the first draft
• Edit and Polish your Essay

Let's explore all these steps before delving into the tips to help you write the essay better.

Read the Prompt

If you are considering applying to a specific nursing school, you need to begin by researching the application process to know when you will be expected to submit your application essay.

In most cases, the nursing schools have essay prompts and instructions for the potential nursing candidates published on their websites. The prompts might vary depending on the programs you are interested in pursuing and the institutional preferences. Therefore, it is vital to begin by locating the nursing school essay guidelines. A quick search online can help, or you will also find it enclosed in the email sent to you by the school's admissions committee.

Read the instructions thoroughly with a specific focus on the essay question, word limit, and topics you must cover. If you apply to many nursing schools, you should locate and read each prompt before moving to the next steps.

Reading and understanding the instructions is the first step in writing an excellent application essay. Besides, it helps you to customize the essay to the requirements and not the other way around.

Brainstorm for Ideas

Now that you know what is expected of you, you need to decide what to include in your nursing essay to make it stand out. For this, get into an idea-generation marathon where you brainstorm ideas based on the prompt and the requirements.

Give every idea a thoughtful consideration and make shorthand notes so that you have all the ideas condensed. Consider your ambitions, accomplishments, drive, passion, preferences, strengths, weaknesses, character traits, and other attributes that might relate to your urge to pursue nursing as a career.

Also, research the nursing program and relate it to your personal ambitions and desires. Such information will help you spot the specific things you like about it. You can then tailor your experiences and encounters to the requirements. Look at the program's website and examine 2-3 aspects that stand out. This will help you focus on what you have that makes you the best pick for the program. You can also reference experiences, events, or traits related to the program.

Consider the environment and people around you and relate them to your desire to become a nurse.

Experiences, encounters, and events can inspire ideas to pen into your nursing school essay.

You can also research some well-written examples of nursing personal statements and essays to get inspired when brainstorming ideas for yours. Besides, you can also ask people in your network, such as family, friends, or peers, for ideas that can stand out and then choose the best.

To get the most robust ideas, rate them depending on how best they answer the prompt; this is the fodder for the entire application essay. Choose 3-5 strongest points and make them the central focus of your essay.

Plan your Essay

As a nurse, planning is everything, even when it comes to clinical decision-making. And because you are destined for this noble career, planning your personal essay won't hurt. Instead, it helps you know what to put and where to engage the admission officers from the beginning to the end of your nursing school essay.

With the ideas in mind, create a rough outline and adjust it until you are fully satisfied that your thoughts, facts, and opinions are well-organized. The outline will help you to structure your essay, avoid derailing it, and write a draft that bears all the quality ideas.

A good step is to organize the essay into paragraphs that align with the word count (often given as the minimum or maximum number of words, exact number of words, or characters).

Include an introduction to give your readers a clear understanding of the focus of your essay. Yes, a good nursing essay has a thesis statement that shows your central claim or the main idea you are focusing on the entire essay.

You should include the body paragraphs, each with a topic sentence supporting the thesis and a series of supporting facts such as examples, evidence, and illustration.

Finally, include a conclusion as the last paragraph that reverberates the thesis, summarizes the essay, and has a call to action to the admissions committee.

Write the First Draft

After the outline, you must begin writing your essay sentence by sentence and paragraph after paragraph. Whatever approach you take, ensure that every detail covered in the outline ends up in your essay as long as it is valid.

Write the introduction paragraph by giving a hook or attention grabber. You can begin with a quote from a famous nurse or a scholarly nursing article. You can also state facts or give statistics if they matter to your application. You should also elaborate on your selected topic, especially if the prompt provides options. End your first paragraph with a thesis statement that describes the focus of your nursing school essay. The introduction should account for 10-15% of the word count.

Each body paragraph has a unique, unmistakable, and concise topic sentence followed by supporting details and a concluding sentence that transitions to the next paragraph. Ensure that you have at least two body paragraphs considering that you can write either a three-paragraph or a five-paragraph nursing essay. Collectively, the body section should be 70-80% of the essay's word count. The body paragraphs should outline your encounters, experiences, and events and how they relate to the specific nursing program.

The final part is the conclusion, where you summarize the main ideas in the essay. for this, avoid the clich� conclusion starters such as "in conclusion," "to sum up," or "in summary." Instead, use conclusion opening sentences that demonstrate to your reader that the essay has ended � it gives the best closure and helps close the information loop in your essay. Rephrase your thesis and summarize the main ideas before appealing to the admissions committee to accept you into their nursing program. It should be 10-15% of the word count, like the introduction paragraph.

Edit and Polish the Essay

Now that you are done with your first draft, it is only the beginning, and you are far from being done. You need to take a break to cool down your frustrations, anxiety, and adrenaline developed when writing. It is a chance to establish an objective mind to look at things from a broader perspective when you settle for editing and proofreading.

If you are not good with editing and proofreading, you can hire a professional proofreading and editing expert to look at your essay and suggest changes to make. You can also use friends and family as a second and third eye to see what you cannot see. Using their feedback will help you optimize the essay for better results. You can incorporate the suggestions and proceed to editing and proofreading.

As for editing and proofreading, you can take advantage of tools such as Grammarly, Ginger, Hemingway Editor, and other editing and proofreading tools available by students and professionals. Revise the essay until it meets the requirements and addresses the prompt. If anything, do not be afraid to do away with an entire paragraph or a few paragraphs that don't make sense.

It is better to start over again than submit a subpar nursing school essay that will be a laughingstock of the admissions committee. The only way to entertain the admissions officers is to write an outstanding nursing school essay that will automatically dial you into the nursing program of your choice. Best of luck!

Example of Nursing School Essay Prompts

• Discuss your interest and understanding of the clinical nurse leader role. What's your story? And what experiences have contributed to your interest?
• The DNP program aims to prepare nurse leaders at the highest level of nursing practice to improve patient outcomes and translate research into practice. Describe experiences that exhibit your formal leadership role or informal leadership skills.
• How will the program help you achieve your academic and career goals?
• What experiences have influenced your interest in pursuing a clinical specialty you have chosen?
• The DNP program aims to prepare nurse leaders at the highest level of nursing practice to improve patient outcomes and translate research into practice. Describe experiences that exhibit your leadership skills.
• Why have you chosen to pursue a nursing research doctorate?
• How does becoming a nurse fulfill your ambitions?
• What does becoming a nurse mean to you?
• What drives you to become a nurse?
• Why do you want to become a nurse?
• What is your nursing philosophy?
• What was your reason for choosing nursing as a career? Do you have any additional information that you would like the admissions committee to know about you that has not been previously considered in the application?
• What are your professional goals? How will this accelerated nursing program help you materialize those goals?
• Discuss a specific leadership position (e.g., manager, director, associate dean) you wish to attain within three to five years after completing the DNP program.

Note: Some of these prompts have been rephrased from the Rush University Website . They keep changing depending on the preferences of the admissions committee. Inquire with your university or college of nursing to get specific directions on the most current prompts and instructions.

Related Reading: Ideas for a nursing capstone project.

Tips for Writing an Effective Nursing School Admission Essay

When grades, test scores, and other material entries don't count , a nursing school essay, referred to as a personal statement, suffices. In this case, a great nursing school can only be your hope for getting into nursing school. If you want to get ahead of the competition, these proven tips will significantly help you.

1. Plan Well

To pen an excellent nursing school essay that gets you accepted, you need to plan the essay.

Read the instructions, brainstorm as you take notes, research widely, and create an outline.

And even when done, the purpose is to have a reverse outline to help you score the essay against the requirements. Planning helps you to know what attention-grabbing statement to begin the essay with, the sequence of the body paragraph ideas for a logical flow, and what specifics to include in the conclusion.

Having an outline will help you save time when writing the first draft and help you to stay focused when writing.

2. Show, Don't Tell!

All effective nursing school essays express your personality, experiences, and encounters while convincing the admissions officers that you are the best fit for the program.

You should not focus on telling your story alone. Instead, show how your account relates to the prompt.

Discuss experiences, encounters, and events but show how they have impacted your choice of the program and desire to become a nurse.

If you are applying to a specific program, enlighten your readers on why you are specifically interested in the program and what that means.

It could be the hybrid learning model that entails both online and classroom learning or the history or reputation the school has, parental preferences (if they were a graduate), mentor recommendation, etc.

3. Choose Information Wisely

Ensure that every idea or information in your essay is unique, authentic, and original. Don't just write fictitiously.

If you have no past experiences directly related to nursing, you can introduce them and twist them to fit the context.

Impress the admissions committee with your wits, not just a summary of what others have written online.

Standing out in your presentation of facts will always carry the day. Genuinely share your story about what made you want to become a nurse.

4. Avoid Excuses

Even if you don't have appealing past encounters with medicine, hospitals, or anything related to nursing, tell your story as it is.

Do not excuse yourself for telling the truth. After all, you are on your journey to becoming a nurse; all you are seeking is training to develop the knowledge and skills.

If you have cared for your family members at home, babysat your siblings, or have compassion for the suffering, these are the most authentic stories you have, and they can spell meaning on your ambition. Therefore, prove your strong candidature by stating things as they are without clutching at things that do not matter.

5. Let it Flow!

Instead of forcing things such as humor or stories, write plainly about your experiences, encounters, and past events that made you want to become a nurse.

Most "why I want to be a nurse" essays don't have to have any humor. If it clicks well and is good, if it doesn't, don't force it.

As well, avoid exaggerating things when writing your nursing school essay. You should focus on making it as interesting, engaging, and convincing as can be but be truthful.

Avoid mixing up stories. A good way is to focus each paragraph on the main point that relates to your thesis.

6. Show you care about People and Yourself

Nursing is a noble career that entails caring for oneself as you care for others. Your full-time attention and job will be to care for people to help them achieve better health outcomes.

You must show empathy, selflessness, and determination to be a nurse. You can bring examples of when you took care of others and yourself.

Let the committee know that even when training as a nurse, you understand self-care as much as you understand caring for others.

7. Bring in Current Issues

If there is a chance that you can introduce nursing concepts or ideas from current events, it will beef up your nursing school essays.

Get facts from well-established nursing organization websites such as the American Nurses Association, National League of Nursing, Emergency Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau, or National Black Nurses Association, etc.

Intrigue your readers by understanding the challenges and opportunities in the nursing field.

You can relate your application to nursing shortages, medical errors, nursing burnout, continuing education, evidence-based practice, etc.

8. Briefly Explain your Qualifications

Since you have already provided material such as transcripts, resumes, and test scores, it is imperative to briefly expound on the qualifications without going into details. Tell them about your experiences, your education, and how you have set yourself up for success in nursing school . For instance, elaborate on how volunteering and internships helped you develop a sense of becoming a nurse or how they developed skills you will apply in nursing school.

9. Share your plans

Everybody has plans. You have short, medium, and long-term goals as you prepare to enter nursing school. You should include them in your essay and demonstrate how the program or school will help you achieve them. Admission officers are always wowed by hearing about goals, especially if they relate to their schools or programs. As you do this, be very specific with the goals and how you intend to achieve them.

All set, but before You Go �

As you contemplate entering nursing school, you must understand that it will never be a walk in the park. There is so much to learn within the specified time frame, and you must show your preparedness. A nursing school personal essay is one of the ways to do so.

Related Article:

• Writing a nursing philosophy ( a student's guide)
• Writing a nursing student resume (a guide)

Lucky for you, our nursing admission essay writers have shared insights, tips, and steps that can help you write an exceptional application essay for any nursing school or program. If you follow them, you will write a seamless admission essay that increases your chances of getting into the nursing school of your dreams.

We wish you luck in your endeavors and promise that were available in case you need a well-written, organized, and plagiarism-free admission essay tailored to your experiences and the specific nursing school or program requirements.

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Writing as a Professional Nurse

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The field of nursing requires a great deal of swift, accurate writing. You will need to fill out reports and charts correctly and completely and record your interactions with doctors and patients fairly. In addition, you must always be prepared to defend the information you record. The material below is intended to help you get used to this type of writing both in school and in the field of nursing.

Three General Rules

This may seem to go without saying, but you should remember that accuracy is important even beyond the obvious areas like medication administration and treatment procedure. Accurately reporting sequences of events, doctor’s orders, and patient concerns will protect you from scrutiny. Example : “Did dressing change.” If this is the entire record of you performing a dressing change for a patient, then exactly what you did is up to interpretation. A more precise version would be:

“Performed dressing change, cleaned wound with NS and gauze, applied calcium alginate, covered with ABD, secured with silk tape. Patient tolerated well.” This revision provides a clear picture of every step of the procedure and explains use of all materials. (Note: even further explanation may be necessary to describe wound status and any changes or doctor notifications.)

Be Objective

Always try to remove personal emotions and opinions from the writing you do. Place yourself in a dispassionate mindset and record information, not feelings, hunches, or viewpoints.

Example : “Patient acting crazy.” This statement relies on the nurse’s subjective opinion of the patient’s mental state. A better version would be: “Patient pacing back and forth, breathing fast, clenching fists, yelling ‘Don’t touch me!’ repeatedly.”

This provides a clear picture of what actually happened during the incident, allowing the reader to draw his or her own conclusions.

Remember Your Critical Audience

Litigation and auditing are a fact of life in the medical field, and chances are good that readers of your writing will be actively looking for mistakes or inconsistencies. Scrupulous charting and reporting is the best way to satisfy such readers. Examples : “Did dressing change.” “Patient acting crazy.” Both of the examples in the above points could be used by a critical audience to have cause for correction or could be used negatively against you in court. The phrase “Did dressing change” details no necessity for specific materials, leaves room for doubt as to compliance with doctor-ordered treatments, and can provide space for accusations from expert witnesses. Writing “Patient acting crazy,” without quantifying statements and description of your actions, can be grounds for charges of negligence. Either one of these cases, in an extreme scenario, could be grounds for you to lose your license.

Nursing Care Plans (NCP): Ultimate Guide and List

Writing the  best   nursing care plan  requires a step-by-step approach to complete the parts needed for a care plan correctly. This tutorial will walk you through developing a care plan. This guide has the ultimate database and list of nursing care plans (NCP) and nursing diagnosis samples  for our student nurses and professional nurses to use—all for free! Care plan components, examples, objectives, and purposes are included with a detailed guide on writing an excellent nursing care plan or a template for your unit. 

Table of Contents

Standardized care plans, individualized care plans, purposes of a nursing care plan, three-column format, four-column format, student care plans, step 1: data collection or assessment, step 2: data analysis and organization, step 3: formulating your nursing diagnoses, step 4: setting priorities, short-term and long-term goals, components of goals and desired outcomes, types of nursing interventions, step 7: providing rationale, step 8: evaluation, step 9: putting it on paper, basic nursing and general care plans, surgery and perioperative care plans, cardiac care plans, endocrine and metabolic care plans, gastrointestinal, hematologic and lymphatic, infectious diseases, integumentary, maternal and newborn care plans, mental health and psychiatric, musculoskeletal, neurological, pediatric nursing care plans, reproductive, respiratory, recommended resources, references and sources, what is a nursing care plan.

A  nursing care plan (NCP)  is a formal process that correctly identifies existing needs and recognizes a client’s potential needs or risks. Care plans provide a way of communication among nurses, their patients, and other healthcare providers to achieve healthcare outcomes. Without the nursing care planning process, the quality and consistency of patient care would be lost.

Nursing care planning begins when the client is admitted to the agency and is continuously updated throughout in response to the client’s changes in condition and evaluation of goal achievement. Planning and delivering individualized or patient-centered care is the basis for excellence in nursing practice.

Types of Nursing Care Plans

Care plans can be informal or formal: An informal nursing care plan is a strategy of action that exists in the nurse ‘s mind. A  formal nursing care plan is a written or computerized guide that organizes the client’s care information.

Formal care plans are further subdivided into standardized care plans and individualized care plans:  Standardized care plans specify the nursing care for groups of clients with everyday needs.  Individualized care plans are tailored to meet a specific client’s unique needs or needs that are not addressed by the standardized care plan.

Standardized care plans are pre-developed guides by the nursing staff and health care agencies to ensure that patients with a particular condition receive consistent care. These care plans are used to ensure that minimally acceptable criteria are met and to promote the efficient use of the nurse’s time by removing the need to develop common activities that are done repeatedly for many of the clients on a nursing unit.

Standardized care plans are not tailored to a patient’s specific needs and goals and can provide a starting point for developing an individualized care plan .

Care plans listed in this guide are standard care plans which can serve as a framework or direction to develop an individualized care plan.

An individualized care plan care plan involves tailoring a standardized care plan to meet the specific needs and goals of the individual client and use approaches shown to be effective for a particular client. This approach allows more personalized and holistic care better suited to the client’s unique needs, strengths, and goals.

Additionally, individualized care plans can improve patient satisfaction . When patients feel that their care is tailored to their specific needs, they are more likely to feel heard and valued, leading to increased satisfaction with their care. This is particularly important in today’s healthcare environment, where patient satisfaction is increasingly used as a quality measure.

Tips on how to individualize a nursing care plan:

• Perform a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s health, history, health status, and desired goals.
• Involve the patient in the care planning process by asking them about their health goals and preferences. By involving the client, nurses can ensure that the care plan is aligned with the patient’s goals and preferences which can improve patient engagement and compliance with the care plan.
• Perform an ongoing assessment and evaluation as the patient’s health and goals can change. Adjust the care plan accordingly.

The following are the goals and objectives of writing a nursing care plan:

• Promote evidence-based nursing care and render pleasant and familiar conditions in hospitals or health centers.
• Support holistic care, which involves the whole person, including physical, psychological, social, and spiritual, with the management and prevention of the disease.
• Establish programs such as care pathways and care bundles. Care pathways involve a team effort to reach a consensus regarding standards of care and expected outcomes. In contrast, care bundles are related to best practices concerning care for a specific disease.
• Identify and distinguish goals and expected outcomes.
• Review communication and documentation of the care plan.
• Measure nursing care.

The following are the purposes and importance of writing a nursing care plan:

• Defines nurse’s role. Care plans help identify nurses’ unique and independent role in attending to clients’ overall health and well-being without relying entirely on a physician’s orders or interventions.
• Provides direction for individualized care of the client.  It serves as a roadmap for the care that will be provided to the patient and allows the nurse to think critically in developing interventions directly tailored to the individual.
• Continuity of care. Nurses from different shifts or departments can use the data to render the same quality and type of interventions to care for clients, therefore allowing clients to receive the most benefit from treatment.
• Coordinate care. Ensures that all members of the healthcare team are aware of the patient’s care needs and the actions that need to be taken to meet those needs preventing gaps in care.
• Documentation. It should accurately outline which observations to make, what nursing actions to carry out, and what instructions the client or family members require. If nursing care is not documented correctly in the care plan, there is no evidence the care was provided.
• Serves as a guide for assigning a specific staff to a specific client.  There are instances when a client’s care needs to be assigned to staff with particular and precise skills.
• Monitor progress. To help track the patient’s progress and make necessary adjustments to the care plan as the patient’s health status and goals change.
• Serves as a guide for reimbursement.  The insurance companies use the medical record to determine what they will pay concerning the hospital care received by the client.
• Defines client’s goals. It benefits nurses and clients by involving them in their treatment and care.

A nursing care plan (NCP) usually includes nursing diagnoses, client problems, expected outcomes, nursing interventions, and rationales. These components are elaborated on below:

• Client health assessment , medical results, and diagnostic reports are the first steps to developing a care plan. In particular, client assessment relates to the following areas and abilities: physical, emotional, sexual, psychosocial, cultural, spiritual/transpersonal, cognitive, functional, age-related, economic, and environmental. Information in this area can be subjective and objective.
• Nursing diagnosis . A nursing diagnosis is a statement that describes the patient’s health issue or concern. It is based on the information gathered about the patient’s health status during the assessment.
• Expected client outcomes. These are specific goals that will be achieved through nursing interventions. These may be long and short-term.
• Nursing interventions . These are specific actions that will be taken to address the nursing diagnosis and achieve expected outcomes . They should be based on best practices and evidence-based guidelines.
• Rationales. These are evidence-based explanations for the nursing interventions specified.
• Evaluation . These includes plans for monitoring and evaluating a patient’s progress and making necessary adjustments to the care plan as the patient’s health status and goals change.

Care Plan Formats

Nursing care plan formats are usually categorized or organized into four columns: (1) nursing diagnoses, (2) desired outcomes and goals, (3) nursing interventions, and (4) evaluation. Some agencies use a three-column plan where goals and evaluation are in the same column. Other agencies have a five-column plan that includes a column for assessment cues.

The three-column plan has a column for nursing diagnosis, outcomes and evaluation, and interventions.

This format includes columns for nursing diagnosis, goals and outcomes, interventions, and evaluation.

Below is a document containing sample templates for the different nursing care plan formats. Please feel free to edit, modify, and share the template.

Download: Printable Nursing Care Plan Templates and Formats

Student care plans are more lengthy and detailed than care plans used by working nurses because they serve as a learning activity for the student nurse.

Care plans by student nurses are usually required to be handwritten and have an additional column for “Rationale” or “Scientific Explanation” after the nursing interventions column. Rationales are scientific principles that explain the reasons for selecting a particular nursing intervention.

Writing a Nursing Care Plan

How do you write a nursing care plan (NCP)? Just follow the steps below to develop a care plan for your client.

The first step in writing a nursing care plan is to create a client database using assessment techniques and data collection methods (physical assessment, health history, interview, medical records review, and diagnostic studies). A client database includes all the health information gathered . In this step, the nurse can identify the related or risk factors and defining characteristics that can be used to formulate a nursing diagnosis. Some agencies or nursing schools have specific assessment formats you can use.

Critical thinking is key in patient assessment, integrating knowledge across sciences and professional guidelines to inform evaluations. This process, crucial for complex clinical decision-making, aims to identify patients’ healthcare needs effectively, leveraging a supportive environment and reliable information

Now that you have information about the client’s health, analyze, cluster, and organize the data to formulate your nursing diagnosis, priorities, and desired outcomes.

Nursing diagnoses are a uniform way of identifying, focusing on and dealing with specific client needs and responses to actual and high-risk problems. Actual or potential health problems that can be prevented or resolved by independent nursing intervention are termed nursing diagnoses.

We’ve detailed the steps on how to formulate your nursing diagnoses in this guide:  Nursing Diagnosis (NDx): Complete Guide and List .

Setting priorities involves establishing a preferential sequence for addressing nursing diagnoses and interventions. In this step, the nurse and the client begin planning which of the identified problems requires attention first. Diagnoses can be ranked and grouped as having a high, medium, or low priority. Life-threatening problems should be given high priority.

A nursing diagnosis encompasses Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and helps to prioritize and plan care based on patient-centered outcomes. In 1943, Abraham Maslow developed a hierarchy based on basic fundamental needs innate to all individuals. Basic physiological needs/goals must be met before higher needs/goals can be achieved, such as self-esteem and self-actualization. Physiological and safety needs are the basis for implementing nursing care and interventions. Thus, they are at the base of Maslow’s pyramid, laying the foundation for physical and emotional health.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

• Basic Physiological Needs: Nutrition (water and food), elimination (Toileting), airway (suction)-breathing (oxygen)-circulation (pulse, cardiac monitor, blood pressure) (ABCs), sleep , sex, shelter, and exercise.
• Safety and Security: Injury prevention ( side rails , call lights, hand hygiene , isolation , suicide precautions, fall precautions, car seats, helmets, seat belts), fostering a climate of trust and safety ( therapeutic relationship ), patient education (modifiable risk factors for stroke , heart disease).
• Love and Belonging: Foster supportive relationships, methods to avoid social isolation ( bullying ), employ active listening techniques, therapeutic communication , and sexual intimacy.
• Self-Esteem: Acceptance in the community, workforce, personal achievement, sense of control or empowerment, accepting one’s physical appearance or body habitus.
• Self-Actualization: Empowering environment, spiritual growth, ability to recognize the point of view of others, reaching one’s maximum potential.

The client’s health values and beliefs, priorities, resources available, and urgency are factors the nurse must consider when assigning priorities. Involve the client in the process to enhance cooperation.

Step 5: Establishing Client Goals and Desired Outcomes

After assigning priorities for your nursing diagnosis, the nurse and the client set goals for each determined priority. Goals or desired outcomes describe what the nurse hopes to achieve by implementing the nursing interventions derived from the client’s nursing diagnoses. Goals provide direction for planning interventions, serve as criteria for evaluating client progress, enable the client and nurse to determine which problems have been resolved, and help motivate the client and nurse by providing a sense of achievement.

One overall goal is determined for each nursing diagnosis. The terms “ goal outcomes “ and “expected outcome s” are often used interchangeably.

According to Hamilton and Price (2013), goals should be SMART . SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-oriented goals.

• Specific. It should be clear, significant, and sensible for a goal to be effective.
• Measurable or Meaningful. Making sure a goal is measurable makes it easier to monitor progress and know when it reaches the desired result.
• Attainable or Action-Oriented. Goals should be flexible but remain possible.
• Realistic or Results-Oriented. This is important to look forward to effective and successful outcomes by keeping in mind the available resources at hand.
• Timely or Time-Oriented. Every goal needs a designated time parameter, a deadline to focus on, and something to work toward.

Hogston (2011) suggests using the REEPIG standards to ensure that care is of the highest standards. By this means, nursing care plans should be:

• Realistic. Given available resources. 
• Explicitly stated. Be clear about precisely what must be done, so there is no room for misinterpretation of instructions.
• Evidence-based. That there is research that supports what is being proposed. 
• Prioritized. The most urgent problems are being dealt with first. 
• Involve. Involve both the patient and other members of the multidisciplinary team who are going to be involved in implementing the care.
• Goal-centered. That the care planned will meet and achieve the goal set.

Goals and expected outcomes must be measurable and client-centered.  Goals are constructed by focusing on problem prevention, resolution, and rehabilitation. Goals can be short-term or long-term . Most goals are short-term in an acute care setting since much of the nurse’s time is spent on the client’s immediate needs. Long-term goals are often used for clients who have chronic health problems or live at home, in nursing homes, or in extended-care facilities.

• Short-term goal . A statement distinguishing a shift in behavior that can be completed immediately, usually within a few hours or days.
• Long-term goal . Indicates an objective to be completed over a longer period, usually weeks or months.
• Discharge planning . Involves naming long-term goals, therefore promoting continued restorative care and problem resolution through home health, physical therapy, or various other referral sources.

Goals or desired outcome statements usually have four components: a subject, a verb, conditions or modifiers, and a criterion of desired performance.

• Subject. The subject is the client, any part of the client, or some attribute of the client (i.e., pulse, temperature, urinary output). That subject is often omitted in writing goals because it is assumed that the subject is the client unless indicated otherwise (family, significant other ).
• Verb. The verb specifies an action the client is to perform, for example, what the client is to do, learn, or experience.
• Conditions or modifiers. These are the “what, when, where, or how” that are added to the verb to explain the circumstances under which the behavior is to be performed.
• Criterion of desired performance. The criterion indicates the standard by which a performance is evaluated or the level at which the client will perform the specified behavior. These are optional.

When writing goals and desired outcomes, the nurse should follow these tips:

• Write goals and outcomes in terms of client responses and not as activities of the nurse. Begin each goal with “Client will […]” help focus the goal on client behavior and responses.
• Avoid writing goals on what the nurse hopes to accomplish, and focus on what the client will do.
• Use observable, measurable terms for outcomes. Avoid using vague words that require interpretation or judgment of the observer.
• Desired outcomes should be realistic for the client’s resources, capabilities, limitations, and on the designated time span of care.
• Ensure that goals are compatible with the therapies of other professionals.
• Ensure that each goal is derived from only one nursing diagnosis. Keeping it this way facilitates evaluation of care by ensuring that planned nursing interventions are clearly related to the diagnosis set.
• Lastly, make sure that the client considers the goals important and values them to ensure cooperation.

Step 6: Selecting Nursing Interventions

Nursing interventions are activities or actions that a nurse performs to achieve client goals. Interventions chosen should focus on eliminating or reducing the etiology of the priority nursing problem or diagnosis. As for risk nursing problems, interventions should focus on reducing the client’s risk factors. In this step, nursing interventions are identified and written during the planning step of the nursing process ; however, they are actually performed during the implementation step.

Nursing interventions can be independent, dependent, or collaborative:

• Independent nursing interventions are activities that nurses are licensed to initiate based on their sound judgement and skills. Includes: ongoing assessment, emotional support, providing comfort, teaching, physical care, and making referrals to other health care professionals.
• Dependent nursing interventions are activities carried out under the physician’s orders or supervision. Includes orders to direct the nurse to provide medications, intravenous therapy , diagnostic tests, treatments, diet, and activity or rest. Assessment and providing explanation while administering medical orders are also part of the dependent nursing interventions.
• Collaborative interventions are actions that the nurse carries out in collaboration with other health team members, such as physicians, social workers, dietitians, and therapists. These actions are developed in consultation with other health care professionals to gain their professional viewpoint.

Nursing interventions should be:

• Safe and appropriate for the client’s age, health, and condition.
• Achievable with the resources and time available.
• Inline with the client’s values, culture, and beliefs.
• Inline with other therapies.
• Based on nursing knowledge and experience or knowledge from relevant sciences.

When writing nursing interventions, follow these tips:

• Write the date and sign the plan. The date the plan is written is essential for evaluation, review, and future planning. The nurse’s signature demonstrates accountability.
• Nursing interventions should be specific and clearly stated, beginning with an action verb indicating what the nurse is expected to do. Action verb starts the intervention and must be precise. Qualifiers of how, when, where, time, frequency, and amount provide the content of the planned activity. For example: “ Educate parents on how to take temperature and notify of any changes,” or “ Assess urine for color, amount, odor, and turbidity.”
• Use only abbreviations accepted by the institution.

Rationales, also known as scientific explanations, explain why the nursing intervention was chosen for the NCP.

Rationales do not appear in regular care plans. They are included to assist nursing students in associating the pathophysiological and psychological principles with the selected nursing intervention.

Evaluation is a planned, ongoing, purposeful activity in which the client’s progress towards achieving goals or desired outcomes is assessed, and the effectiveness of the nursing care plan (NCP). Evaluation is an essential aspect of the nursing process because the conclusions drawn from this step determine whether the nursing intervention should be terminated, continued, or changed.

The client’s care plan is documented according to hospital policy and becomes part of the client’s permanent medical record, which may be reviewed by the oncoming nurse. Different nursing programs have different care plan formats. Most are designed so that the student systematically proceeds through the interrelated steps of the nursing process , and many use a five-column format.

Nursing Care Plan List

This section lists the sample nursing care plans (NCP) and nursing diagnoses for various diseases and health conditions. They are segmented into categories:

Miscellaneous nursing care plans examples that don’t fit other categories:

Care plans that involve surgical intervention.

Nursing care plans about the different diseases of the cardiovascular system :

Nursing care plans (NCP) related to the endocrine system and metabolism:

Care plans (NCP) covering the disorders of the gastrointestinal and digestive system :

Care plans related to the hematologic and lymphatic system :

NCPs for communicable and infectious diseases:

All about disorders and conditions affecting the integumentary system :

Nursing care plans about the care of the pregnant mother and her infant. See care plans for maternity and obstetric nursing:

Care plans for mental health and psychiatric nursing:

Care plans related to the musculoskeletal system:

Nursing care plans (NCP) for related to nervous system disorders:

Care plans relating to eye disorders:

Nursing care plans (NCP) for pediatric conditions and diseases:

Care plans related to the reproductive and sexual function disorders:

Care plans for respiratory system disorders:

Care plans related to the kidney and urinary system disorders:

Recommended nursing diagnosis and nursing care plan books and resources.

Disclosure: Included below are affiliate links from Amazon at no additional cost from you. We may earn a small commission from your purchase. For more information, check out our privacy policy .

Ackley and Ladwig’s Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: An Evidence-Based Guide to Planning Care We love this book because of its evidence-based approach to nursing interventions. This care plan handbook uses an easy, three-step system to guide you through client assessment, nursing diagnosis, and care planning. Includes step-by-step instructions showing how to implement care and evaluate outcomes, and help you build skills in diagnostic reasoning and critical thinking.

Nursing Care Plans – Nursing Diagnosis & Intervention (10th Edition) Includes over two hundred care plans that reflect the most recent evidence-based guidelines. New to this edition are ICNP diagnoses, care plans on LGBTQ health issues, and on electrolytes and acid-base balance.

Nurse’s Pocket Guide: Diagnoses, Prioritized Interventions, and Rationales Quick-reference tool includes all you need to identify the correct diagnoses for efficient patient care planning. The sixteenth edition includes the most recent nursing diagnoses and interventions and an alphabetized listing of nursing diagnoses covering more than 400 disorders.

Nursing Diagnosis Manual: Planning, Individualizing, and Documenting Client Care  Identify interventions to plan, individualize, and document care for more than 800 diseases and disorders. Only in the Nursing Diagnosis Manual will you find for each diagnosis subjectively and objectively – sample clinical applications, prioritized action/interventions with rationales – a documentation section, and much more!

All-in-One Nursing Care Planning Resource – E-Book: Medical-Surgical, Pediatric, Maternity, and Psychiatric-Mental Health   Includes over 100 care plans for medical-surgical, maternity/OB, pediatrics, and psychiatric and mental health. Interprofessional “patient problems” focus familiarizes you with how to speak to patients.

Recommended reading materials and sources for this NCP guide: 

• Björvell, C., Thorell-Ekstrand, I., & Wredling, R. (2000). Development of an audit instrument for nursing care plans in the patient record.   BMJ Quality & Safety ,  9 (1), 6-13. [ Link ]
• DeLaune, S. C., & Ladner, P. K. (2011).  Fundamentals of nursing: Standards and practice . Cengage learning.
• Freitas, F. A., & Leonard, L. J. (2011). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and student academic success .  Teaching and learning in Nursing ,  6 (1), 9-13.
• Hamilton, P., & Price, T. (2007). The nursing process, holistic.  Foundations of Nursing Practice E-Book: Fundamentals of Holistic Care , 349.
• Lee, T. T. (2004). Evaluation of computerized nursing care plan: instrument development .  Journal of Professional Nursing ,  20 (4), 230-238.
• Lee, T. T. (2006). Nurses’ perceptions of their documentation experiences in a computerized nursing care planning system .  Journal of Clinical Nursing ,  15 (11), 1376-1382.
• Rn, B. O. C., Rn, H. M., Rn, D. T., & Rn, F. E. (2000). Documenting and communicating patient care: Are nursing care plans redundant?.  International Journal of Nursing Practice ,  6 (5), 276-280.
• Stonehouse, D. (2017). Understanding the nursing process .  British Journal of Healthcare Assistants ,  11 (8), 388-391.
• Yildirim, B., & Ozkahraman, S. (2011). Critical thinking in nursing process and education .  International journal of humanities and social science ,  1 (13), 257-262.

65 thoughts on “Nursing Care Plans (NCP): Ultimate Guide and List”

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Risk for ineffective thermoregulation would be a good one for you to do next for newborn.

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What is a nursing care plan a mother in second stage of labour?

Please see: 36 Labor Stages, Induced and Augmented Labor Nursing Care Plans

What is the nursing care plan for pulmonary oedema?

I m interest in receiving a blank nursing care plan template for my students to type on. I was wondering if it was available and if so can you please direct me on where to find it?

Hi! You can download it here: Nursing Care Plan Template

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Hi Criselda,

Sorry, we don’t have a textbook. All of our resources are here on the website and free to use.

Good day, I would like to know how can I use your website to help students with care plans.

Sincerely, Oscar A. Acosta DNP, RN

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These care plans are great for using as a template. I don’t have to reinvent the wheel, and the information you provided will ensure that I include the important data without leaving things out. Thanks a million!

Hi, I have learnt a lot, this is a wonderful note you’ve prepared for all nurses thank you.

Matt, this page is very informative and I especially appreciate seeing care plans for patients with neurological disorders. I notice, though, that traumatic brain injury is not on your list. Might you add a care plan page for this?

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Hi Paul, on your browser go to File > Print > Save as PDF. Hope that helps and thanks for visiting Nurseslabs!

Matt, I’m a nursing instructor looking for tools to teach this. I am interested in where we can find “rules” for establishing “related to” sections…for example –not able to utilize medical diagnosis as a “related to” etc. Also, resources for nursing rationale.

Hello, please check out our guide on how to write nursing diagnoses here: https://nurseslabs.com/nursing-diagnosis/

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Hello Ujunwa, Thanks a lot for the positive vibes! 🌟 It’s super important to us that everyone has access to quality resources. Just wondering, is there any specific topic or area you’d love to see more about? We’re always looking to improve and add value!

Great work.

Hi Abbas, Thank you so much! Really glad to hear you found the nursing care plans guide useful. If there’s a specific area or topic you’re keen on exploring more, or if you have any suggestions for improvement, feel free to share. Always aiming to make our resources as helpful as possible!

It has been good time me to use these nursing guides.

What is ncp for acute pain

For everything you need to know about managing acute pain, including a detailed nursing care plan (NCP), definitely check out our acute pain nursing care plan guide . It’s packed with insights on assessment, interventions, and patient education to effectively manage and alleviate acute pain.

Good morning. I love this website

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An assignment examples on nursing s is a prosaic composition of a small volume and free composition, expressing individual impressions and thoughts on a specific occasion or issue and obviously not claiming a definitive or exhaustive interpretation of the subject.

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Student Spotlight: Through Pediatric Nursing, Cassie Weis Seeks to Set an Example for Her Own Children

  By Gianluca D'Elia   Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Cassie Weis ’20N (MS) ’24N (DNP) spends most of her time working with children and infants as a pediatric nurse practitioner, so it’s fitting that her own daughter was her initial inspiration to pursue a nursing career.

“My decision to become a nurse came from my desire to be the best mom I could to my daughter. As a single mom at the time, I knew that I needed to find a secure career to support us, but I also desired to pursue something that would be fulfilling,” Weis recalled.

Weis started her health care career by earning a liberal arts degree and becoming a registered nurse at Finger Lakes Community College, followed by pursuing her bachelor’s at nearby St. John Fisher University.

Throughout her education, Weis said her experiences affirmed that she was built for this profession.

Why did you choose UR Nursing?

The University of Rochester had a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program that fit well with my future goals. I wanted to work exclusively with children and infants. At the time, I transferred from Rochester General Hospital's General Inpatient Pediatric floor to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where I feel like I thrived and found a sense of community in that unit. I was part of a large cohort starting the PNP track with other NICU nurses and gained amazing friends, invaluable experience, and a passion to be the best advocate for children that I would be.

I decided in the middle of my PNP program that I would continue on with my Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree at the University of Rochester because the School of Nursing has fostered exponential professional and personal growth.

What have you enjoyed the most about your experience at the School of Nursing? Who has made an impact on you in your time here?

I am so grateful to Drs. Ann Leonhardt-Caprio , Jamie Oliva , Sue Ciurzynski , and Erin Baylor for guiding me in my UR Nursing journey.

I had so many excellent preceptors during my clinical experiences including Laurie Athans DNP, RN, CNL, CCRN-K , Rose Burnett, NP , Theresa Foito, NP , Marsha Pulhamus, NP , Lisa Augostini, NP , Cyndi tenHoopen, NP , Carly Dickinson, NP, Dr. Gary Meyers , Dr. Neil Herendeen , Brenda Seaman NP , Dr. Georgia Lowmaster, NP , and Jill Bernhardt, NP to name a few.

And of course, one cannot go through nursing school without a bestie to share the good, the bad, and the ugly: Shannon (Creedon) Ferguson, PNP .

I've enjoyed the community that I've developed in the School of Nursing and feeling like I can make a difference.

Can you tell us about your DNP scholarly project?

My DNP project, "Establishing an Evidence-Based Breastfeeding-Friendly Practice to Improve Breastfeeding Rates," was successfully defended to the DNP committee on March 8. The project utilized the New York State Department of Health Breastfeeding Friendly Primary Care Implementation guideline, adapted to a local rural pediatric primary care clinic. It ultimately improved 2-month breastfeeding rates by 58.4 percent from the needs assessment benchmark and exclusive breastfeeding rates at 6-months were higher than both state and national averages.

Can you tell us a little bit about your current role and what makes it rewarding to you? Is there anything you have found surprising?

I currently work at Canandaigua Medical Group Pediatric Primary Care and I absolutely love it. I work collaboratively with physicians, social workers, nurses, administration, and other staff members to ensure our patients are taken care of. I've bonded with so many families here and I am honored to care for all these wonderful children that come to see me.

Surprisingly, I've become a good resource for topics like mental health, neuro-divergent conditions like Autism, ADHD, OCD, tic disorders, and behavioral concerns. Also, teenagers aren't as scary as many people think.

What are your favorite things about Rochester? 

I love many things about the Rochester Area. My favorite places to go are California Rollin II on the Port, Taki Sushi in Webster, the Strong Museum of Play and, the Rochester Museum & Science Center.

What do you do when you’re not at school or work?

I am an amateur furniture flipper and self-proclaimed interior designer. I love to bake banana bread and watch Dance Moms with my daughter as a funny bonding opportunity. I love anime and dream of going to the San Diego Comic Con. I wanted to be an animator before I became a nurse so anything involving digital media is my favorite. I run sometimes in local 5Ks like the Strong Stroll , and love being around my family. I have some awesome kids and the husband is pretty awesome too.

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