At St. Joseph's Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
standard nursing care plans are used
for a broad variety of surgical and medical
conditions. During my tenure there as the Iep,
we decided to develop standard care plans for
patients in isolation using a category-oriented
rather than disease-oriented approach. The
four care plans (one each for enteric, respiratory,
strict, and wound and skin) can readily be
modified for the patient's specific disease entity
(see examples on p. 37A). Protective isolation,
which is rarely used, requires a much more individualized
approach and was not included.
The plans emphasize patient, family, and
safety needs and are based on the infection control
policies and procedures at 51. Joseph's
Hospital. Printed on both sides of 3 x 5 inch
tear-off pads, a copy is inserted in the patient's
Kardex and can also be placed on the isolation
cart outside the patient's room. There it provides
a quick reference for nurses, physicians,
and other health care personnel. The plans also
provide a starting point for patient and family
education.
There are two caveats to keep in mind. First,
each patient is an individual with his or her
own individual needs. The nursing care plans
that we developed provide a standard approach
to the routine aspects of caring for a patient in
isolation. Nursing personnel must still assess
each patient's individual needs and plan care
accordingly. Second, the deadlines and specific
actions in these nursing care plans may need to
be revised for use in your health care facility,
since they are based on the policies of a specific
hospital and may not be applicable to other facilities.