Care planning: the best tool for the job?

A study was undertaken in a district general hospital intensive care unit in order to bring about an improvement in care plan practice, through the development of the care plan tool being used. Action research, as a research approach, was adopted, with the utilisation of the 'insider' model. Initially, an evaluation of care plan practice was made using a questionnaire. Weak aspects of care plan practice and design problems of the care plan tool itself were identified. Changes were then made to the care plan and introduced after discussion at a focus group meeting. As a result, the care plan tool was changed from an almost complete pre-printed plan, to a non-pre-printed plan, written free hand for each individual patient. Prior to implementation of the revised care plan tool, educational information and ongoing educational support was provided. An evaluation of the revised care plan was then made and the study continues to be an ongoing evaluation of the practice of care planning using the stages of action research.