Nursing Care Plan for Glaucoma
Also searched as: increased eye pressure, ocular hypertension
🎓 Educational example. Adapt to your patient and have your instructor review it. Not medical advice.
⚠️ Time-critical condition. Glaucoma can deteriorate quickly. This page is a study example, not a clinical protocol: at the bedside follow your facility's policy, escalate to the provider or rapid response team, and never delay treatment to consult a study resource.
A group of eye diseases, most often linked to elevated pressure inside the eye, that damage the optic nerve and can cause irreversible vision loss if untreated. Nursing care centers on protecting remaining vision through eye-drop adherence, safety for visual field loss, and recognizing an acute angle-closure attack as an emergency.
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Assessment
- Subjective: open-angle glaucoma often causes no symptoms until vision loss is advanced, though the patient may report bumping into things or trouble seeing at night; an angle-closure attack causes sudden severe eye pain, headache, nausea or vomiting, and halos around lights
- Objective: elevated intraocular pressure on tonometry, optic nerve cupping on exam, peripheral visual field loss; an acute angle-closure attack shows a red eye, cloudy cornea, and a fixed, mid-dilated pupil
Nursing diagnoses
As evidenced by: peripheral visual field loss, difficulty seeing in low light, elevated intraocular pressure on exam
Risk factors: diminished visual field, unfamiliar environment, history of falls or near-falls
Goals / expected outcomes
- The patient will maintain intraocular pressure within the target range set by the provider and show no further visual field loss at follow-up.
- The patient will correctly demonstrate eye-drop instillation and describe the importance of adherence before discharge.
Nursing interventions & rationale
| Intervention | Rationale |
|---|---|
| Administer prescribed eye drops (for example a prostaglandin analog or beta-blocker) on schedule and teach correct instillation and punctal occlusion technique. | Lowering intraocular pressure is the only proven way to slow optic nerve damage, and correct technique affects how much medication is absorbed. |
| Assess for and immediately report sudden eye pain, halos, nausea, or vomiting. | These signs suggest acute angle-closure glaucoma, an ophthalmic emergency that can cause permanent vision loss within hours. |
| Orient the patient to the environment, reduce fall hazards, and encourage use of prescribed low-vision aids as needed. | Peripheral vision loss raises fall and injury risk, especially in unfamiliar surroundings. |
| Teach that damage already present cannot be reversed and that lifelong adherence to treatment and regular eye-pressure checks are what protect remaining vision. | Because early glaucoma often has no symptoms, patients may stop treatment without understanding that vision already lost will not return. |
Evaluation
- Intraocular pressure trends toward the target range
- No new visual field loss or injury occurs
- Patient demonstrates correct eye-drop technique and describes the treatment plan
Sources & further reading
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Build a care plan free Preview Pro (coming soon)Glaucoma care plan: FAQ
What is the nursing diagnosis for Glaucoma?
Common nursing diagnoses include: Disturbed visual sensory perception related to progressive optic nerve damage from elevated intraocular pressure; Risk for injury related to reduced peripheral vision. Choose the one your patient's assessment data supports.
What are nursing interventions for Glaucoma?
Key interventions: Administer prescribed eye drops (for example a prostaglandin analog or beta-blocker) on schedule and teach correct instillation and punctal occlusion technique.; Assess for and immediately report sudden eye pain, halos, nausea, or vomiting.; Orient the patient to the environment, reduce fall hazards, and encourage use of prescribed low-vision aids as needed., each paired with a rationale.
Can I use this care plan for my assignment?
Use it as a study example and starting draft. Always adapt it to your specific patient and have it reviewed by your instructor. This is an educational tool, not medical advice.
For nursing education only, NOT medical advice and not a clinical decision-making tool. Nothing here should be used to assess, diagnose, or treat any real patient. Care plans and answers are unverified study drafts to review with your instructor or a licensed clinician and adapt to the individual patient and your institution’s protocols before any use.
Last reviewed 2026-07. Educational content based on standard nursing practice; not medical advice and not affiliated with NANDA-I/NIC/NOC. Always follow your institution's protocols and your instructor's guidance.