Development and Evaluation of a Standardised Nursing Care Plan for Chronic Liver Disease Patients Using International...

This study aimed to identify the care needs of individuals with chronic liver disease, develop a standardised nursing care plan (SNCP) based on international nursing terminologies, and evaluate its effectiveness, quality, and satisfaction.

A participatory action research design comprising three phases was used. In Phase 1 (December 2017), qualitative data from eight patients identified care needs and disease experiences. In Phase 2, feedback from 18 nurses guided the development of a SNCP, incorporating international nursing terminologies, which was then validated. In Phase 3 (October-December 2023), the plan's effectiveness, quality, and satisfaction were evaluated through implementation with 10 inpatients and 18 nurses.

Qualitative analysis revealed two themes: disease-related symptoms and daily living challenges. Most nurses in phase 2 were familiar with the nursing process and NANDA terminology. The SNCP included 22 NANDA diagnoses, NOC outcomes, and NIC interventions, achieving 95%-100% validity. In Phase 3, a statistically significant improvement was observed in nurses' total care plan scores from pretest (5.44 ± 2.81) to posttest (16.50 ± 4.98). Additionally, patient files documented with the care plan SNCP showed a statistically significant quality improvement compared to those using traditional care plans. Nurses reported high satisfaction, citing ease of use, improved patient follow-up, support for evidence-based practice, enhanced care quality, and focus on individual patient needs.

The SNCP based on international nursing terminologies was evaluated as valid in terms of scope, effective in identifying care problems compared to traditional care plans, better quality in terms of documentation, and satisfactory for nurses using it in patients with chronic liver disease. In this direction, it is recommended that the standard nursing care plan based on international nursing terminologies for chronic liver patients be widespread, and the care outcomes be evaluated with further studies.