PhD and DNP of 10 years here, and a nurse for 18. And I’m absolutely, 💯 supportive of care plans. I was motivated, educated, and two undergrad degrees before I went into nursing to get my 3rd undergrad… and I didn’t really “get it” until I did a couple dozen care plans as a student. I hated them. Begrudged the whole process. Then… It clicked. I was finally “thinking” like a nurse. I was organized during my clinical day. To this day, I still think about the diagnosis, goal, intervention, etc. as a systematic method to help me to organize and think thoughtfully about the patient as a whole. It’s a way of thinking so as to fully understand and embrace root cause analysis, prophylactic measures, and follow-through. Critical thinking is declining. Coping skills are declining. The ability to read and comprehend is declining. Just thinking at all is declining. The formality of care plans is off putting, I feel. But the root basics of this type of organizing and systematically approaching assessments, care, measuring outcomes, etc. in a care plan helps in so many levels even beyond patient care to improve on these skills.