Developing staff nurse experts in nursing diagnosis-based care planning

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Management
• Clinical Informatics

Background:

• Effective nursing care planning relies on accurate nursing diagnoses.
• Staff development programs are crucial for implementing evidence-based practices.
• The Medical College of Virginia Hospitals identified a need to enhance nursing diagnosis utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the Program to Increase Nursing Knowledge and Facilitate the Utilization of Nursing Diagnosis (PINK FUND).
• To prepare unit-based nurses as facilitators for nursing diagnosis-based care planning.
• To provide a model for staff development in nursing care planning and documentation.

Main Methods:

• Curriculum development focusing on nursing diagnosis theory, planned change, and adult learning principles.
• Instructional methodologies modeled by facilitators.
• Program marketing and participant recruitment within the institution.

Main Results:

• Nurses were successfully prepared to utilize the nursing process for planned care.
• The program facilitated the integration of nursing diagnosis into daily practice.
• Participants demonstrated increased competence in care planning and documentation.

Conclusions:

• The PINK FUND program effectively enhanced nurses' ability to use nursing diagnoses for care planning.
• The program serves as a viable model for staff development in nursing informatics and practice.
• Improved nursing care planning and documentation were achieved through targeted education.