Nursing Care Plans: free examples + builder
Every plan follows the same five parts: assessment → nursing diagnosis → goals → interventions with rationale → evaluation. Browse a worked example, then build your own for any patient.
Worked examples (87)
Hypertension
Persistently elevated arterial blood pressure that increases the risk of stroke, heart…
Acute Pain
An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience of recent onset and expected short…
Pneumonia
Infection of the lung parenchyma causing impaired gas exchange, cough, and fever. Nursing…
Constipation
Infrequent or difficult passage of hard stool. Nursing care addresses bowel patterns,…
Risk for Infection
Vulnerability to invasion by pathogens due to compromised defenses (surgery, invasive…
Dehydration / Deficient Fluid Volume
Loss of body fluid exceeding intake, reducing circulating volume. Nursing care restores…
Heart Failure
Impaired cardiac pumping leading to fluid overload and reduced perfusion. Nursing care…
COPD
Chronic airflow limitation with impaired gas exchange. Nursing care supports oxygenation,…
Risk for Falls
Increased susceptibility to falling, risking injury. Nursing care is preventive and…
Anemia
Reduced red cell mass or hemoglobin causing decreased oxygen-carrying capacity. Nursing…
Depression
Persistent low mood and loss of interest affecting function and safety. Nursing care…
Diabetes Mellitus
Impaired glucose regulation with risk of hyper-/hypoglycemia and long-term complications.…
Cellulitis
Acute bacterial infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Nursing care targets…
Atrial Fibrillation
An irregular, often rapid atrial rhythm that reduces cardiac output and raises stroke…
Chronic Kidney Disease
A progressive, long-term loss of kidney function affecting fluid, electrolyte, and waste…
Pulmonary Embolism
A sudden blockage of a pulmonary artery, usually by a clot from the legs, that impairs…
Schizophrenia
A chronic mental health condition affecting thoughts, perception, and behavior, often…
Sepsis
A life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated response to infection.…
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Infection of the urinary tract causing dysuria and urgency; in older adults it can…
Stroke (CVA)
Sudden loss of brain function from disrupted blood flow. Nursing care protects the…
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
A blood clot in a deep vein, usually the leg, with risk of pulmonary embolism. Nursing…
Asthma
Chronic airway inflammation with reversible bronchospasm. Nursing care relieves acute…
Pressure Injury / Risk
Localized skin/tissue damage over a bony prominence from pressure. Nursing care is…
Hypoglycemia
Blood glucose below normal, which can rapidly become dangerous. Nursing care is rapid…
Myocardial Infarction (MI)
Death of heart muscle from blocked coronary blood flow. Nursing care is time-critical:…
Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)
A rapid decline in kidney function causing fluid, electrolyte, and waste imbalances.…
GI Bleed
Bleeding anywhere in the GI tract, ranging from slow to life-threatening. Nursing care…
Fracture
A break in bone continuity. Nursing care manages pain, protects circulation, and prevents…
Anxiety
A vague, uneasy feeling of dread from a perceived threat, affecting comfort and coping.…
Nausea
An unpleasant sensation often preceding vomiting, with risk of dehydration and poor…
Chest Pain
Chest discomfort that may signal cardiac ischemia and must be treated as potentially…
Seizure
Abnormal, excessive brain electrical activity. Nursing care centers on safety during…
Dementia
Progressive decline in memory and cognition affecting safety and daily function. Nursing…
Hypertensive Crisis
Severely elevated blood pressure (often >180/120) risking acute organ damage. Nursing…
Post-Operative Care
Care after surgery to support recovery and catch complications early. Nursing care covers…
Impaired Physical Mobility
Limitation in independent, purposeful movement, raising the risk of many complications.…
Chronic Pain
Pain lasting beyond the expected healing period (often >3 months) that affects function…
Delirium
An acute, fluctuating disturbance of attention and awareness, often reversible. Nursing…
Pancreatitis
Inflammation of the pancreas causing severe pain and risk of systemic complications.…
Hyperkalemia
Elevated serum potassium that can cause dangerous cardiac arrhythmias. Nursing care is…
Appendicitis
Inflammation of the appendix, a surgical emergency risking rupture. Nursing care manages…
Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)
A life-threatening complication of diabetes in which insulin deficiency causes high blood…
Bowel Obstruction
A partial or complete blockage that stops the normal passage of intestinal contents,…
Preeclampsia
A pregnancy complication marked by new high blood pressure and organ involvement (often…
Diarrhea
Frequent, loose, or watery stools that can quickly lead to fluid and electrolyte loss,…
Urinary Retention
The inability to fully empty the bladder, causing discomfort, distension, and risk of…
Cirrhosis
Progressive scarring of the liver that impairs its function, affecting clotting, fluid…
Bipolar Disorder
A mood disorder with episodes of mania (or hypomania) and depression that affect energy,…
Dyspnea
The distressing sensation of difficult or uncomfortable breathing, a common sign of…
Bronchopneumonia
A lung infection that produces patchy, bilateral inflammation centered on the bronchioles…
Hypothyroidism
A condition in which the thyroid gland produces insufficient hormone, slowing the body's…
GERD
Backflow of stomach contents into the esophagus that irritates the mucosal lining and can…
Tuberculosis
A chronic bacterial infection, most often affecting the lungs, spread through airborne…
Influenza
An acute viral respiratory illness with sudden onset of fever, body aches, and…
Malnutrition
Inadequate intake or absorption of nutrients relative to the body's metabolic needs,…
Wound Infection
Invasion of a wound by pathogens producing local or systemic signs of infection, most…
Fever
A regulated rise in core body temperature above the normal range, driven by a raised…
Ineffective Coping
A reduced ability to manage stress, a life change, or a health crisis using workable…
Risk for Bleeding
Increased vulnerability to blood loss from anticoagulant therapy, a low platelet count,…
Alcohol Withdrawal
A set of symptoms that develops when a person who drinks heavily stops or sharply cuts…
Cholecystitis
Inflammation of the gallbladder, most often from a gallstone blocking the cystic duct.…
Hypovolemic Shock
A life-threatening emergency in which blood or fluid loss leaves too little circulating…
Hypokalemia
A serum potassium level below 3.5 mEq/L, usually from GI losses, diuretics, or poor…
Osteoarthritis
Gradual breakdown of joint cartilage that causes pain, stiffness, and loss of function,…
Postpartum Hemorrhage
Blood loss of more than 500 mL after vaginal birth or 1000 mL after cesarean birth, or…
Hyponatremia
A serum sodium below 135 mEq/L, usually from too much water relative to sodium. Nursing…
Hypernatremia
A serum sodium above 145 mEq/L, usually from water loss or poor water intake. Nursing…
Hyperthyroidism
Overproduction of thyroid hormone that speeds up metabolism throughout the body. Nursing…
Thrombocytopenia
A platelet count below 150,000/microliter that raises the risk of bleeding. Nursing care…
Burns
Tissue damage from heat, chemicals, electricity, or radiation that disrupts the skin…
Dysphagia
Difficulty moving food or liquid safely from the mouth to the stomach, often from stroke,…
Wound Care
General nursing management of an open wound from surgery, trauma, or a chronic condition…
COPD Exacerbation
An acute worsening of COPD symptoms, most often triggered by a respiratory infection or…
Gout
A form of inflammatory arthritis caused by monosodium urate crystals depositing in a…
Glaucoma
A group of eye diseases, most often linked to elevated pressure inside the eye, that…
HIV
A virus that attacks CD4 T-cells and progressively weakens the immune system, leaving a…
Lupus
A chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissue,…
Leukemia
A cancer of the blood-forming tissue in the bone marrow that crowds out normal blood cell…
Kidney Stones
Hard mineral deposits that form in the kidney and can lodge in the ureter, causing waves…
Colostomy Care
Care of a surgically created opening that brings the colon to the abdominal wall,…
Lung Cancer
Malignancy of the lung or airways that impairs gas exchange through tumor growth, airway…
Anaphylaxis
A rapid, systemic allergic reaction in which airway swelling, bronchospasm and…
Obesity
A chronic, multifactorial condition of excess adipose tissue that raises the risk of…
Cataract
Clouding of the eye's natural lens that gradually blurs vision, dims colors and worsens…
Breast Cancer
Malignancy of breast tissue treated with some combination of surgery, radiation,…
Endometriosis
A chronic condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the…
Pericarditis
Inflammation of the sac around the heart, usually viral, causing sharp chest pain that…
All conditions
The 5-part framework
- AssessmentCollect subjective (what the patient reports) and objective (measurable) data: vitals, labs, exam findings.
- Nursing diagnosisState the problem, its related factor ("related to"), and the evidence ("as evidenced by").
- Goals / outcomesWrite SMART, patient-centered goals with a timeframe.
- InterventionsList nursing actions, each with a rationale explaining why it helps.
- EvaluationDefine how you'll know the goal was met, and reassess.