How to Write Nursing Interventions Full Guide

How to Write Nursing Interventions Full Guide and Examples

Don’t worry if the concept of “nursing interventions” is hard for you to grasp; you’re not alone. Though the term “intervention” seems scientific and complex, it simply refers to the routine actions taken by nurses to care for patients and improve their health.

It is essential for nurses to incorporate nursing interventions into their care plans. In the course of providing care to a patient, a registered nurse (RN) is responsible for a wide range of interventions, from taking a patient’s vitals to simply handing out medication.

Nursing interventions are an integral part of the nursing care plan and can be divided into seven categories: assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation, teaching or education, support or counseling, and referral. Examples of nursing interventions include administering medications, providing patient education on disease management, and monitoring vital signs.

When writing a nursing care plan (NCP), selecting appropriate nursing interventions is an important step. A comprehensive guide to mastering this step includes understanding the types of interventions available and their purposes, as well as reading examples of interventions for different scenarios. Additionally, nurses should consider the health system’s resources when selecting interventions.

Nursing interventions are a big part of patient care plans because they tell nurses what to do and how to measure the results they want.

Different Types/Categories of Nursing Interventions

There are three categories of nursing interventions: independent, dependent, and interdependent/collaborative.

Independent Nursing Interventions

Independent nursing interventions are tasks that a nurse can perform without the help of other healthcare professionals. These are actions that a nurse can take without the need for physician orders or supervision. Examples of independent nursing interventions include administering medication, turning patients to prevent bedsores, offering feeding assistance, and many more.

Dependent Nursing Interventions

Dependent nursing interventions require the help of other healthcare professionals such as doctors or physical therapists. Mostly, these are actions that require physician orders or supervision. Examples of dependent nursing interventions include administering certain medications, performing certain procedures, making changes to a patient’s care plan, psychotherapy, and crisis counseling among others.

Interdependent/Collaborative Nursing Interventions

Interdependent/collaborative nursing interventions involve the nurse working with other healthcare professionals to plan care for a patient. Thus, these are the actions that involve collaboration with other healthcare professionals. Many facilities have established standardized care plans with lists of possible interventions that can be customized for each specific patient. Examples of collaborative nursing interventions include fall prevention, pain control, fluid intake, mobility therapy, assistive device therapy, sleep pattern management, and more.

Purposes of Nursing Interventions

The purpose of nursing interventions is to help patients reach their wellness and recovery goals, provide quality patient care over a period of time, improve, maintain, or restore health, and achieve patient outcomes. Nursing interventions involve providing physical treatments, emotional support, and other actions to help patients reach expected outcomes.

The Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) is a thorough and research-based publication that describes more than 500 interventions utilized in a variety of healthcare settings and specialized fields. The NIC is used by many international medical organizations because it has a consistent way to classify nursing interventions.

The Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) is a comprehensive standardized classification of interventions that nurses perform. It consists of 565 interventions grouped into 30 classes and seven domains; each assigned a unique four-digit code. The seven domains are Physiological: Basic, Complex, Behavioral, Safety, Family, Health System, and Community.

Physiological Basic Domain Nursing Interventions

Physiological basic nursing interventions include interventions that address the basic physiological needs of patients. These interventions are typically simple nursing procedures that assist patients with their physical health and well-being.

Examples of nursing interventions in the Physiological Basic domain include:

  • Administering medication as prescribed
  • Monitoring vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature
  • Assisting with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and toileting
  • Assisting with mobility, such as helping patients to ambulate or transfer
  • Assisting with nutrition, such as helping patients to eat or providing enteral or parenteral nutrition
  • Assisting with elimination, such as helping patients to use the toilet or providing catheter care
  • Assisting with respiratory care, such as providing oxygen or administering nebulized medication
  • Assisting with skin care, such as providing wound dressings or preventing pressure ulcers

These interventions are basic and essential for maintaining the physiological well-being of patients and are often the foundation of nursing care.

Physiological Complex Domain Nursing Interventions

Physiological complex nursing interventions are procedures that usually involve a higher level of skill and comprise multiple steps aimed at addressing the physiological needs of patients. These interventions are typically more complex than those in the Physiological Basic domain and may require specialized knowledge or training.

Examples of nursing interventions in the Physiological Complex domain include:

  • Managing patients on mechanical ventilation
  • Managing patients on hemodynamic monitoring devices
  • Managing patients with wounds, such as pressure ulcers, surgical wounds, or burns
  • Managing patients with multiple IV lines, central venous catheters, or other specialized devices
  • Managing patients with complex medication regimens
  • Managing patients with critical care conditions such as sepsis, ARDS, or shock
  • Managing patients with end-of-life care needs
  • Managing patients with complex pain management needs
  • Managing patients with complex wound care
  • Managing patients with complex rehabilitation needs.

These interventions require specialized knowledge, training, and advanced skills, and are typically performed by nurses with specialized certifications or experience in specific areas of care.

Behavioral Domain Nursing Interventions

Behavioral domain nursing interventions involve assisting a patient in altering maladaptive behaviors to address mental and emotional needs. Behavioral objectives are instructional methods appropriate for teaching in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. These interventions focus on promoting emotional well-being, improving communication and relationships, and addressing behavioral health concerns.

Examples of nursing interventions in the Behavioral domain include:

  • Providing emotional support and counseling to patients and families
  • Assisting patients and families in coping with stress and anxiety
  • Assisting patients and families in problem-solving and decision-making
  • Assessing and addressing patients’ spiritual and cultural needs
  • Assessing and addressing patients’ cognitive and developmental needs
  • Identifying and addressing potential or actual behavioral health concerns, such as depression, anxiety, or substance abuse
  • Assisting patients and families in adjusting to changes in health status or lifestyle
  • Assisting patients and families in developing a support system
  • Facilitating communication between patients and healthcare providers
  • Collaborating with other healthcare providers to provide coordinated care for patients with behavioral health concerns.

These interventions play an important role in promoting the overall well-being of patients and addressing the complex and multidimensional aspects of behavioral health.

Safety Domain Nursing Interventions

Safety domain nursing interventions include interventions that promote safety for patients, staff, and visitors in healthcare settings. These interventions are intended to prevent or minimize the risk of harm, injury, or accidents. They also involve implementing preventive measures to promote patient safety, such as fall prevention or infection control. These safety interventions may include instructions for using a walker or a cane or how to take a shower safely.

Examples of nursing interventions in the Safety domain include:

  • Identifying and assessing potential safety hazards in the patient care environment
  • Implementing infection control measures to prevent the spread of infection
  • Implementing fall prevention measures to prevent falls and injuries
  • Implementing measures to prevent medication errors and adverse drug events
  • Implementing measures to prevent pressure ulcers and other types of skin injuries
  • Implementing measures to prevent errors in the administration of blood products and other high-alert medications
  • Implementing measures to prevent errors in the administration of oxygen
  • Implementing measures to prevent errors in the administration of anesthesia
  • Implementing measures to prevent errors in the administration of contrast media
  • Implementing measures to prevent errors in the administration of radiation.

These interventions are essential in creating a safe environment for patients and staff and play an important role in preventing errors and reducing the risk of adverse events.

Family Domain Nursing Interventions

Family domain nursing interventions involve influencing change in the cognitive, affective, and/or behavioral domains of family functioning. These interventions focus on promoting the well-being and involvement of the patient’s family and significant others in the care of the patient.

Examples of nursing interventions in the Family domain include:

  • Providing family education about the patient’s condition and treatment plan
  • Involving the family in the patient’s care plan and decision-making
  • Assessing the emotional and psychological needs of the family and providing support as needed
  • Assisting the family in understanding and coping with changes in the patient’s health status or lifestyle
  • Facilitating communication between the family and healthcare providers
  • Assisting the family in identifying and accessing community resources and support services
  • Assisting the family in identifying and accessing financial and insurance resources
  • Assisting the family in making arrangements for the patient’s care after discharge
  • Assisting the family in making end-of-life decisions
  • Assessing the need for and providing bereavement support to the family after the patient’s death.

These interventions play an important role in promoting the well-being and involvement of the patient’s family and significant others in the care process and can improve the overall quality of care for the patient.

Health System Domain Nursing Interventions

The Health System domain nursing interventions include interventions that involve coordination of care or communication with other healthcare providers. These interventions focus on ensuring that the patient receives appropriate and efficient care across the healthcare system.

Examples of nursing interventions in the Health System domain include:

  • Coordinating care across different healthcare settings, such as acute care, long-term care, and home care
  • Communicating with other healthcare providers, such as physicians, nurses, and therapists, to ensure continuity of care
  • Assessing the patient’s insurance coverage and identifying potential barriers to care
  • Managing the patient’s transition from one healthcare setting to another
  • Assisting the patient and family in navigating the healthcare system
  • Identifying and addressing healthcare disparities and inequities
  • Assessing and addressing the patient’s needs for case management or disease management
  • Identifying and addressing the patient’s needs for discharge planning and follow-up care
  • Identifying and addressing the patient’s needs for post-discharge support and services
  • Identifying and addressing the patient’s needs for palliative care and end-of-life care.

These interventions play an important role in ensuring that the patient receives appropriate and efficient care across the healthcare system, and can improve the overall quality of care for the patient.

Community Domain Nursing Interventions

The Community domain nursing interventions include interventions that address the patient’s needs in the community. These interventions focus on promoting the patient’s health and well-being in the context of the community in which they live.

Examples of nursing interventions in the Community domain include:

  • Identifying and assessing the patient’s needs in the context of the community
  • Identifying and assessing the patient’s resources and support systems in the community
  • Assessing and addressing the patient’s needs for community-based health promotion and disease prevention
  • Assisting the patient in accessing community-based resources and services, such as housing, transportation, and food assistance
  • Assisting the patient in accessing community-based health promotion and disease prevention programs
  • Assisting the patient in accessing community-based support groups and self-help programs
  • Assessing and addressing the patient’s needs for home health care and other community-based services
  • Assessing and addressing the patient’s needs for community-based palliative care and end-of-life care
  • Assessing and addressing the patient’s needs for disaster preparedness and emergency management
  • Assessing and addressing the patient’s needs for community-based mental health services.

These interventions play an important role in promoting the patient’s health and well-being in the context of the community in which they live and can improve the overall quality of care for the patient.

Valuable Tips for Writing Nursing Interventions Paper

Writing a nursing interventions paper can be a challenging task for nursing students. However, there are several online resources that can help guide them through the process. The first step is to collect information about the patient and analyze it. This should include the patient’s status, nursing assessment, current care plan, and recommendations. Once this is done, the student should translate their findings into a research paper by adhering to any instructions given by their school or educator, such as citation style.

When writing the paper, students should consider including sections on treatment and interventions, nursing implications, and any other relevant topics depending on journal guidelines. Additionally, they should ensure that their paper is well-structured and follows a logical flow of ideas. Finally, they should cite all sources used in their paper according to the APA Style.

Always keep in mind the following when writing a nursing intervention paper:

  • Understand the purpose and format of the paper. A nursing interventions paper typically describes a specific problem or issue related to patient care and outlines the steps that should be taken to address it.
  • Use evidence-based practice when selecting interventions. This means basing your interventions on current research and best practices in the field.
  • Clearly define the problem and its significance. This should include a description of the patient population and the specific issue that you are addressing.
  • Outline the steps of the interventions in a logical and clear manner. This should include specific details such as the rationale for each step, the expected outcomes, and any potential risks or side effects.
  • Use a variety of sources to support your interventions. These can include research articles, guidelines, and expert opinions.
  • Include a discussion of the potential implications of your interventions for practice and future research.
  • Follow proper formatting and citation guidelines for the paper.
  • Be sure to proofread and edit your paper for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors before submitting it.

Nursing Interventions Examples for Specific Conditions

Pain: Assessing the nature, location, intensity, and duration of pain, implementing a pain management plan, administering medication as prescribed, providing non-pharmacological interventions such as heat/cold therapy, relaxation techniques and guided imagery, monitoring for adverse reactions to medication, and promoting patient and family involvement in the pain management plan.

Pneumonia: Assessing the patient’s lung sounds, administering medication as prescribed, providing respiratory treatments such as oxygen therapy, nebulizer treatments, and chest physiotherapy, monitoring oxygen levels, providing patient and family education on infection control, monitoring for adverse reactions to medication and working with other healthcare providers to manage the patient’s condition.

UTI: Assessing for signs and symptoms of UTI, collecting urine samples for culture and sensitivity, administering antibiotics as prescribed, educating the patient and family on preventive measures such as proper hygiene, and monitoring for adverse reactions to medication.

Hypertension: Assessing blood pressure regularly, monitoring for signs and symptoms of hypertension, providing patient and family education on lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise, administering medication as prescribed, monitoring for adverse reactions to medication, and working with other healthcare providers to manage hypertension.

Anxiety: Assessing the patient’s level of anxiety, providing emotional support and counseling, teaching relaxation techniques, providing medication as prescribed, involving the patient’s family in the care plan, and working with other healthcare providers to manage anxiety.

You can get more examples of nursing interventions from another article provided by our expert nursing paper writers.

FAQs about Nursing Interventions Writing Process

What is the purpose of a nursing intervention paper?

A nursing intervention is a plan of action taken by a nurse to address a specific problem or issue related to patient care. The goal of a nursing intervention is to improve the health of the patient and the quality of care as a whole.

What should be included in a nursing intervention paper?

A nursing intervention paper should include a clear definition of the problem or issue being addressed, a thorough literature review, specific and measurable goals for the intervention, a detailed description of the intervention, a plan for evaluating its effectiveness, and a discussion of potential barriers and strategies for overcoming them.

How do I choose a topic for my nursing intervention paper?

When choosing a topic for your nursing intervention paper, consider a problem or issue that you have encountered in your clinical practice or that is relevant to your area of study. It is also important to choose a topic that has enough research available to support your intervention.

How do I conduct research for a nursing intervention paper?

To conduct research for your nursing intervention paper, start by identifying key search terms related to your topic. Look for peer-reviewed articles, guidelines, and best practices from reputable sources such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO). You can also find useful information from nursing journals and textbooks.

How do I evaluate the effectiveness of a nursing intervention?

To evaluate the effectiveness of a nursing intervention, you should establish specific and measurable goals, and then collect data on patient outcomes before and after the intervention. You can also use tools such as surveys, questionnaires, and patient interviews to gather feedback on the intervention.

How do I write a nursing intervention paper?

When writing a nursing intervention paper, it is important to use a clear and concise writing style and to properly cite all sources. You should also pay attention to the format and structure of the paper, and be sure to include all of the necessary sections, such as an introduction, literature review, and evaluation plan.

How do I ensure that my nursing intervention paper is well-written and scholarly?

To ensure that your nursing intervention paper is well-written and scholarly, you should use a clear and concise writing style, properly cite all sources, and have your paper reviewed by a peer or mentor before submitting it.

How do I write a clear and concise nursing intervention plan?

When writing your nursing intervention plan, be specific and measurable with your goals. Use a logical and structured format, breaking your plan into clear and concise sections such as introduction, assessment, intervention, and evaluation. Also, use simple language, avoid jargon, and make sure the plan is easy to follow.

Get Expert Help with Your Nursing Intervention Assignment

If you need help with your nursing intervention assignment, our professional nursing writers can help you with specific areas of your assignment, such as research, writing, and formatting.

Nursing care plan assignments involve assessing a patient’s condition and developing an intervention to address it. This intervention could be medication, psychotherapy, self-education, or any other. A nursing assignment help expert knows exactly how to write the assignment in steps, beginning with an assessment and diagnosis of the patient’s condition. They then develop interventions based on the assessment and diagnosis and finally evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions.

When seeking nursing care plan assignment help, it is important to find an experienced expert who has a sound knowledge of all diseases in clinical terms. This will ensure that the assignment is completed accurately and on time.

NursingCustomWriting.com will provide you with customized paper writing assistance, such as writing your paper from scratch or editing and proofreading your work.

We have a solid reputation for helping students write great nursing term papers assignment papers on time and for a fair price.