Nurses, Do You Have a Daily Plan?

It’s satisfying to see nurses taking the lead in making hospitals better places for patients, families and the nurses who care for them. Nurses are no longer relegated to just taking orders without questions; we’re in the forefront of change.

For example, take Beth King, MA, BSN, RN, CCM, a nurse working at the VA National Center for Patient Safety in Ann Arbor, Mich. A couple of years ago, she was bothered by the way that patients often aren’t informed about what’s going to happen during their hospital stay. We all know, of course, that unpredictable things occur with the course of any illness, but there is a plan of care and treatment. Many times, though, patients and their families are not informed and are in no condition to provide input anyway.

King saw the need for patient input, as well as the need for better care and improved patient safety, so she set out to fill them. She developed The Daily Plan, a single document created each day that helps patients and families understand what to expect during hospitalization. They are informed, when possible, about their nutrition plans and upcoming tests and procedures. This document is created by importing data and information from patients’ electronic medical records – a really great idea because nurses caring for the patients don’t have to create another document from scratch.

This seems like a smart idea -- not only for patients and their families, but for nurses as well.

When they sit with the patient and/or family to discuss the day’s plan, it provides an opportunity for teaching and questions. Nurses who have used The Daily Plan say it allows them to identify possible adverse events and errors of omission, mostly discovered while talking to the patient or family. Add it up and it means safer environments for patients, as well as peace of mind for families and nurses.

What do you think of this idea?

Do you have ideas that might improve patient safety and care?

Have you developed such tools or programs that are in use now?

Tell us about it.