Girling & Fraser Nursing Care Plan for Exotics
Built on many years of working with exotics, Girling & Fraser are delighted to put forward their new Nursing Care Plan for Exotics.
Whilst many aspects of caring for exotics are the same as those for dogs and cats, by their very nature, exotic species have special requirements for nursing care. This new NCP emphasises those aspects of care specific to small mammals, birds and reptiles.
The main components - observe, assess, plan and implement are a continuous process, re-evaluating care throughout treatment. On this page you will find both the overview diagram and a downloadable checklist for use in practice.
This is very much the start of the conversation and we would welcome feedback from nurses in practice using the plan to further develop and refine this. Please use the SurveyMonkey Link to provide feedback.
Thank you!
Why do you need a Nursing Care Plan (NCP) for exotics?
There are a many reasons why nursing care plans are useful including:
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•Patient centred - Individual care
•Holistic
•Adapting to the patient
•Checklist
•Monitoring
•Continuity of care
•Communication
•Governance and audit
•Evidence based
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How does a NCP improve patient care?
Nursing care plans give us an opportunity to discuss care for our patients. Utilising different models of care highlights different aspects of care such as aspects of living, health and quality of life.
Using a nursing care plan provides us with a tool round which we can structure. Broken down into basic stages of observation, assessment, plan, implement and review the circular system allows care to change and respond to the needs of the patient.
Why the Girling & Fraser NCP for Exotics?
The Girling & Fraser NCP focusses on the specific requirements of exotics, highlighting the specific needs of exotics. This includes the requirement to observe patients from afar, due to their tendency to hide stress and illness. Dealing with small animals means that nutrition is paramount, and it is essential to measure food offered, and food left in order to accurately work out nutritional intake. Means of assessing pain in exotics are developing, and this needs to be incorporated into the nursing care plan.
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Utilising a checklist the Girling & Fraser NCP gives a framework for the care of exotics in general practice.
