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learning.. One of the factor which the researcher of this study incurred the formulation of the nursing care plan. There were times that when given patients with varied medical diagnosis and the care seemed to be complex, these researchers had the difficulty of making an appropriate nursing care plan to each patient. The difficulty sometimes arose from the assessment column in which they were not sure of what to place based on what they identified. It was so difficult to arrive at a correct nursing intervention based on the problems cited and the rationale .To come up with correct objective of care and its corresponding nursing intervention was another. One major concern is their failure to interrelate the problem assessed and the nursing diagnosis to the objectives, intervention and evaluation. The experience of the researcher cited above started in their third year practicum and there were occasions that they still encountered the difficulties now as fourth year students. Surprisingly, their answers were almost similar to the experience of the researchers. In Addition, there was one thing that all of

them agreed and that is, it is difficult to think critically. The local experiences shared in this study have similarities with the study by Hefferin and Hunter (2001), in which they found out that student had difficulty in relating planned interventions to the problem identified and in stating problem and interventions in specific terms. They believed that if a parcel of the student population had the difficulties in formulating the nursing care plan, the problem might exist in a bigger group .They desired to undergo a scientific investigation to the major portion of the

population. Having this study is therefore very important because assisting the students in developing the skills along the components of the nursing process specifically in the formulation of the nursing care plan and the initiative, ability and responsibility of each student are both needed for them to become competent in nursing care. A. STATEMENT OF SPECIFIC PROBLEM This study aimed to assess the difficulties encountered by 3rd and 4th year students in formulating Nursing Care Plan that served as a basis for establishing NCP guidelines. Specifically this sought to answer the following questions. 1. What is the socio-demographic profile of the respondents in terms of the following variables? 1.1. Age 1.2. Gender 1.3. Year level 1.4. Academic Status 1.5. Duration in making Nursing Care Plan 1.6. Number of Nursing Care Plan required per rotation 1.7. Deadline of submission 2. Which of the following components do students encounter the difficulty in formulating the nursing care plan?

2.1. Assessment 2.2. Diagnosis 2.3. Inference 2.4. Planning 2.5. Intervention 2.6. Rationale 2.7. Evaluation

3. To what degree do the respondents encounter the difficulty in formulating the following components of the nursing care plan? 3.1. Assessment 3.2 Diagnosis 3.3. Inference 3.4. Planning 3.5. Intervention 3.6. Rationale 3.7. Evaluation

4. Is there a significant relationship between the degree of difficulty encountered by the respondents in formulating the nursing care plan and their profile? 5. Based on the results of the study, what guidelines can be established to minimize difficulties in formulating nursing care plan?

B. HYPOTHESIS At the 0.05 level of significance, the null hypothesis tested was: 1. There is no significant relationship between the degree of difficulty encountered by the respondents in formulating Nursing Care Plan and their profile.

C. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY It is hoped that the following groups of individuals were benefited from this study: STUDENT NURSES. The results of this study are for the good of all nursing who are deployed to different practicum areas. They will be motivated to further improve their skills in formulating a nursing care plan. They will further realize that being skill full in formulation of nursing care plan leads them to implement a nursing care plan successfully, ultimately, utilizing the entire nursing process effectively.

CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR. The results of this study will give information to the instructors as to the components of the nursing care plan which the students have the difficulty. The weak areas will be their basis for establishing strategies on how to assist students STAFF NURSES. The staff nurses work closely with clinical instructors and students in patient care management. This study will serve as a guide for staff nurses to help students in assessing patients or gathering data from patients and records. PATIENTS. They can give tips in the formulation of a good nursing care plan. They are the recipient of care and through this study, they will be taken care of and feels satisfaction because a good nursing care plan is formulated and implemented successfully. THE RESEARCHERS. The researcher of this study find the findings a lot not only from the researcher

worthwhile because they have learned

process but from the findings which have led them to become more independent, doing their best to refine their skills in NCP formulation and in its implementation. This study will also be most helpful for those incoming researchers whose interest is on nursing process and its components or the nursing care plan in particular.

D. SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY This study aimed to determine the difficulties encountered by the BSN students of University Of Makati in formulating nursing care plan in which the result would serve as a basis for enhancing skills in NCP formulation. Specifically, the study identified the demographic profile of respondents which included age, gender, year level, academic status, duration in making nursing care plan, number of nursing care plan required per rotation and deadline of submission. The degree of difficulties encountered by the respondents was determined along the components of assessment, nursing diagnosis, inference, planning, intervention, rationale and evaluation. This study also assessed which of the components of the nursing care plan, the students had the difficulty. The relationship between the degree of difficulties encountered by the respondents in formulating the nursing care plan and their profile was measured and demisted. Total of 125 third year and 131 fourth year students were taken as respondents. the study was conducted at UMAK,COAHS- Center for Nursing. This study was limited to tally the demographic profile such as age, gender, year level, academic status, duration in making nursing care plan, number of nursing care plan required per rotation and deadline of submission. They were taken because the data did not only give information about the respondents but also were considered to find out if these variables can affect the degree of difficulties they encountered in formulating nursing care plan.