Planning: a necessary step in clinical care

Aim.  The aim of this paper is to highlight the significance of care planning and to encourage the integration of a consistent and systematic planning process into nursing practice. Background.  Many factors contribute to the successful achievement of clinical outcomes, including patient–practitioner rapport, comprehensive client assessment, accurate differential diagnosis, evidence‐based care and the objective evaluation of client progress. One element that is of equal importance to these aforementioned factors is the planning of patient care. However, there are concerns that some practitioners may not be adopting a planned approach to client care, possibly because of a lack of understanding, time, skill or interest in care planning. Method.  This is a position paper on the planning of patient care. Results.  The planning of patient care can be effectively implemented using a two‐stage process. In brief, the first step involves the construction of a general goal, which is the overall, desired outcome of care. The expected outcome, or specific goal, forms the second part of the planning process, which clearly directs clinical care by specifically indicating how and when an individual will achieve the general goal of treatment. Conclusion.  This paper highlights the importance of care planning and that the use of a clear, systematic planning framework may help to deliver a more transparent and consistent approach to patient care, which may greatly improve patient health and well‐being by hastening the achievement of clinical outcomes. Relevance to clinical practice.  The knowledge and strategies contained in this paper can be easily adopted by nurses and other clinicians to modify or build upon existing practice. This knowledge may help foster a more client‐centred, participative, individualised approach to care, which may lead to improvements in patient outcomes.