THE FAMILY HEALTH CARE PLAN

Formulation of the health care plan is the next step in the nursing process after assessment, when
health and family nursing problems have been clearly defined.

DEFINITION

A family nursing care plan is the blueprint of the care that the nurse designs to systemically
minimize or eliminate the identified health and family nursing problems through explicitly
formulated outcomes of care (goals and objectives) and deliberately chosen set of interventions,
resources and evaluation criteria, standards, methods and tools.

FEATURES

The definition above points to specific features of a nursing care plan. These characteristics are
based on the concept of planning as a process.

1. The nursing care plan focuses on actions which are designed to solve or minimize existing
problems. The plan is a blueprint for action. The core of the plan are the approaches,
strategies, activities, methods and materials which the nurse hopes will improve the
problem situation.
2. The nursing care plan is a product of a deliberate systematic process. The planning
process is characterized by logical analyses of data that are put together to arrive a
rational decisions. The interventions the nurse decides to implement are chosen from
among alternatives after careful analysis and weighing of available options.
3. The nursing care plan, as with all other plans, relates to the future. It utilizes events in the
past and what is happening in the present to determine patterns. It also projects the
future scenario if the current situation is not corrected.
4. The nursing care plan is based upon identified health and nursing problems. The problems
are the starting points for the plan, and the fact of the objectives of care and intervention
measures.
5. The nursing care plan is a means to an end. Not an end itself. The goal in planning is to
deliver the most appropriate care to the client by eliminating barriers to family health
development.
6. Nursing care planning is a continuous process, not a che-shot deal. The results of the
evaluation of the plan’s effectiveness trigger another cycle of the planning process until
the health and nursing problems are eliminated.
 7. DESIRABLE QUALITIES OF A NURSING CARE PLAN

There are specific qualities of a nursing care plan which help to maximize its effectiveness.

1. It should be based on clear, explicit definition of the problems(s). A good nursing plan is based on
a comprehensive analysis of the problems situation. The main as well as contributory causes of
the health condition or problem should be identified.
2. A good plan is realistic. It can be implemented with reasonable chance of success. This feasibility
of the plan is related to the quantity and quality of resources required in its implementation.
3. The nursing care plan is prepared jointly with the family. This is consistent with the principle that
the nurse works with and not for the family. She involves her family in determining health needs
and problems, in establishing priorities, in selecting appropriate courses of the action,
implementing them and evaluating outcomes. Through participatory planning the nurse makes
the family feel that the health of its members is a family responsibility and commitment.
4. The nursing care plan is most useful in written form. It is a means of communication not only
among nurses but also between nurses and other members of the health team. Moreover, it is
impossible for a nurse to keep many nursing care plans in her mind and remember the salient
points of care. Written plans also serve as useful administrative device for evaluating staff
performance and the quality of care provided to clients.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING CARE

Little and Carnevali dicuss the importance of nursing care plans:

1. They individualize care to clients. Whether an individual, patient, the family or the entire
community, clients are different from each other. In order to appropriate, nursing care should
suit and be unique to a particular client. Planning facilities the delivery of the most appropriate
care by considering the uniqueness of each client.
2. The nursing care plan helps in setting priorities by providing information about the client as well
as the nature of his problems. From the available data the nurse sets her priorities for care.
3. The nursing care plan promotes systematic communication among those involved in the health
care effort. It defines the problems and details of the nursing interventions to resolve them.
4. Continuity of care is facilitated through the use of nursing care plans. Gaps and duplications in the
services provided are minimized. If not totally eliminated. Gaps and duplication of services are
bound to occur in workers are providing care to the same family.
5. Nursing care plans facilitate the coordination of care by making known to other members of the
health team what the nurse is doing. Coordination of care prevents fragmentation of services and
increases the efficiency of health services delivery system.
 SCALE FOR RANKING HEALTH CONDITIONS AND PROBLEMS ACCORDING TO PRIORITIES

CITERIA WEIGHT
1. Nature of the problem presented
SCALE**: Wellness State 3
Health Deficit 3 1
Health Threat 2
Foreseeable Crisis 1
2. Modifiability of the condition or
problems
SCALE**: Easily modifiable 2
Partially Modifiable 1 2
Not modifiable 0

3. Preventive Potential
SCALE**: High 3
Moderate 2 1
Low 1
4. Salience
SCALE**: A condition or problem, 2
needing immediate action

A condition or problem not needing 1 1

immediate action

Not perceived as a problem or condition 0

needing change

Scoring:
1. Decide on a score for each of the criteria
2. Divide the score by the highest possible score and multiply by the weight: (Score/Highest
Score) x Weight
3. Sum up the score for all the criteria. The highest score is 5, equivalent to the total weight.