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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9. References
• Queensland Health 2009, Clinical Pathways, Queensland
Government, viewed 11th October 2010
http://www.health.qld.gov.au/cpic/service_improve/clinical_pathw
ays.asp
• The Office of Senior Practitioner 2009, Positive solutions in practice:
clinical risk assessment and management in people with an
intellectual disability, State Government Victoria, viewed 11th
October 2010
• http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/432489/os
p_clinicalriskassessriskmanageinpeoplewithintellectdis_easyread_p
df_0510.pdf

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

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