Parkinson’s disease, or paralysis agitans,is a progressing neurologic movement disorder that eventually leads to disability. It occurs after the age of 50 and increases in incidence with age. The disease affects more men than women and it’s the fourth most common neurodegenerative disease, with 50,000 new cases reported each year in the United States.
Parkinson’s disease is associated with decreased levels of dopamine resulting from destruction of pigmented neuronal cells in the substantia nigra in the basal ganglia region of the brain. Neuronal pathways project from the substantia nigra to the corpus striatum, where neurotransmitters are key to the control of complex body movements. The loss of dopamine stores in areas of the brain results in more excitatory neurotransmitters than inhibitory neurotransmitters, leading to an imbalance that affects voluntary movement.
Nursing Care Plans
The nursing goals for patients with Parkinson’s Disease include improving functional mobility, maintaining independence in performing ADLs, achieving optimal bowel elimination, attaining and maintaining acceptable nutritional status, achieving effective communication, and developing positive coping mechanisms.
Here are nine (9) nursing care plans (NCP) and nursing diagnosis for Parkinson’s Disease:
- Ineffective Airway Clearance
- Disturbed Thought Process
- Impaired Verbal Communication
- Impaired Physical Mobility
- Imbalanced Nutrition: Less Than Body Requirements
- Impaired Swallowing
- Risk for Injury
- Ineffective Coping
- Deficient Knowledge
- Other Nursing Care Plans
Disturbed Thought Process
Nursing Diagnosis
May be related to
- parkinsonian medications
- psychological causes
- depression
- incorrect belief system
- chronic illness
- misperceptions
Possibly evidenced by
- inaccurate interpretation of the environment
- changes in lifestyle
- loss of significant other
- egocentricity
- distractibility
- inappropriate thinking
- memory impairment
- sorrow
- hypovigilance or hypervigilance
- chronic illness
- insomnia
- inability to perform activities as before
- abnormal lab studies
- uncaring attitude
- toxic levels of medications
- akinesia
Desired Outcomes
- Patient will identify factors that elicit depressive reactions and use techniques that will effectively reduce the amount and frequency of these episodes.
- Patient will be compliant with the therapeutic regimen.
| Nursing Interventions | Rationale |
|---|---|
| Assess patient for depressive behaviors, causative events, and orient patient to reality as warranted. | Depression is common among PD patients, whether it’s a reaction to the disorder or related to biochemical abnormality is uncertain. Identify specific problems and allow for the establishment of a plan of care. Reality orientation helps the patient to be aware of self and surroundings. |
| Use a nonjudgmental attitude toward the patient and actively listen to his feelings and concerns. | Establishes a trusting relationship and permits the patient to discuss topics that can help the patient deal with in appropriate ways. PD patients often feel embarrassed apathetic, bored, and lonely that may be brought about by physical slowness and the great effort that even small tasks require. Encourage and assist the patient in every effort possible to carry out the tasks involved in meeting their own daily needs to remain independent. |
| Identify patient’s medications currently being taken. | Assists with the identification of any misuse of drugs and side-effects that may precipitate depressive symptoms. |
| Assess the patient for a potential for suicide and suicidal ideation. | Patients who are depressed and who have already thought about a suicide plan are serious and need emergency help. |
| Monitor vital signs every 4 hours and prn. | Antidepressants and other psychoactive medications may result in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular insufficiency. Amantadine (Symmetrel) can cause psychiatric disturbances, mood changes, hallucinations. |
Recommended Resources
Recommended nursing diagnosis and nursing care plan books and resources.
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- Nursing Care Plans: Nursing Diagnosis and Intervention (10th Edition)
An awesome book to help you create and customize effective nursing care plans. We highly recommend this book for its completeness and ease of use. - Nurse’s Pocket Guide: Diagnoses, Prioritized Interventions and Rationales
A quick-reference tool to easily select the appropriate nursing diagnosis to plan your patient’s care effectively. - NANDA International Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions & Classification, 2021-2023Â (12th Edition)
The official and definitive guide to nursing diagnoses as reviewed and approved by the NANDA-I. This book focuses on the nursing diagnostic labels, their defining characteristics, and risk factors – this does not include nursing interventions and rationales. - Nursing Diagnosis Handbook, 12th Edition Revised Reprint with 2021-2023 NANDA-I® Updates
Another great nursing care plan resource that is updated to include the recent NANDA-I updates. - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5(TM))
Useful for creating nursing care plans related to mental health and psychiatric nursing. - Ulrich & Canale’s Nursing Care Planning Guides, 8th Edition
Claims to have the most in-depth care plans of any nursing care planning book. Includes 31 detailed nursing diagnosis care plans and 63 disease/disorder care plans. - Maternal Newborn Nursing Care Plans (3rd Edition)
If you’re looking for specific care plans related to maternal and newborn nursing care, this book is for you. - Nursing Diagnosis Manual: Planning, Individualizing, and Documenting Client Care (7th Edition)
An easy-to-use nursing care plan book that is updated with the latest diagnosis from NANDA-I 2021-2023. - All-in-One Nursing Care Planning Resource: Medical-Surgical, Pediatric, Maternity, and Psychiatric-Mental Health (5th Edition)
Definitely an all-in-one resources for nursing care planning. It has over 100 care plans for different nursing topics.
See also
Other recommended site resources for this nursing care plan:
- Nursing Care Plans (NCP): Ultimate Guide and Database
Over 150+ nursing care plans for different diseases and conditions. Includes our easy-to-follow guide on how to create nursing care plans from scratch. - Nursing Diagnosis Guide and List: All You Need to Know to Master Diagnosing
Our comprehensive guide on how to create and write diagnostic labels. Includes detailed nursing care plan guides for common nursing diagnostic labels.
Other nursing care plans related to neurological disorders:
- Alzheimer’s Disease | 15Â Care Plans
- Brain Tumor | 3 Care Plans
- Cerebral Palsy | 7 Care Plans
- Cerebrovascular Accident | 12 Care Plans
- Guillain-Barre Syndrome | 6 Care Plans
- Meningitis | 7 Care Plans
- Multiple Sclerosis | 9 Care Plans
- Parkinson’s Disease | 9 Care Plans
- Seizure Disorder | 4 Care Plans
- Spinal Cord Injury | 12 Care Plans
Awesome stuff.
Feel like I have found a gold mine !! Very helpful.
Very nice and helpful
This website has helped me so much with nursing interventions and now is helping me come up with interventions and understanding why because of the rationale
Would be Important to add references. Apart from that is very good.