| Course | NUR 330 Professional Nurse Attributes |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 2 |
| Paper type | Conceptual care plan |
| Length | About 598 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | BSN in Nursing |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NUR 330 Module 2
Four Problems, One First: A Conceptual Care Plan With SMART Goals for a 78-Year-Old on Day One After Hip Fracture Surgery
Student Name
Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University
NUR 330: Professional Nurse Attributes
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Four Problems, One First: A Conceptual Care Plan With SMART Goals for a 78-Year-Old on Day One After Hip Fracture Surgery
The Patient and Cues
Mrs. R., 78, had surgical repair of a right hip fracture yesterday after a fall at home. Relevant cues: pain 8 out of 10 with movement; oxygen saturation 92% on room air with shallow breathing; new confusion overnight about the date and place; no bowel movement for three days; on an opioid for pain; lives alone; history of hypertension. Less relevant cues: a healed scar on her left knee and a mild cataract.
Nursing Problems
1. Impaired gas exchange risk related to shallow breathing from pain and immobility, as shown by oxygen saturation of 92%.
2. Acute confusion related to surgery, pain, opioid medication and hospital environment, as shown by disorientation to time and place.
3. Acute pain related to surgical incision and fracture, as shown by pain of 8 out of 10 with movement.
4. Constipation risk related to opioid use and immobility, as shown by no bowel movement for three days.
Prioritization
Using the ABCs, breathing comes first, so the gas exchange problem ranks highest. Confusion ranks second because it threatens safety and may signal low oxygen or another acute cause. Pain ranks third: it is urgent and also drives the first problem, since controlling pain allows deep breathing and movement. Constipation ranks fourth under the acute-before-chronic and Maslow frameworks, important but less immediately dangerous (Herdman et al., 2024).
SMART Goals, Actions and Evaluation
Problem 1: Gas Exchange
SMART goal: Mrs. R. will maintain an oxygen saturation of 95% or higher on room air by the end of the shift.
Actions: Raise the head of the bed to at least 30 degrees, because upright positioning improves lung expansion. Coach use of the incentive spirometer 10 times an hour while awake, which opens collapsed alveoli. Reassess saturation and breath sounds every 4 hours.
Evaluation: Goal met if saturation is 95% or higher at end of shift.
Problem 2: Acute Confusion
SMART goal: Mrs. R. will state her name, the place and the date correctly by the end of day 2 after surgery.
Actions: Reorient her often and place her glasses and a clock within view, because sensory aids reduce confusion. Keep a family photo nearby and encourage family visits. Report new confusion to the provider, because it may signal delirium.
Evaluation: Goal met if she is oriented to person, place and time on day 2.
Problem 3: Acute Pain
SMART goal: Mrs. R. will report pain of 4 out of 10 or less within 1 hour of medication and before physical therapy each day.
Actions: Give prescribed analgesics on schedule and 30 minutes before therapy, so pain does not prevent movement. Use repositioning and ice as prescribed. Reassess 1 hour after each dose.
Evaluation: Goal met if pain scores are 4 or below at reassessment.
Problem 4: Constipation Risk
SMART goal: Mrs. R. will have a soft bowel movement by the end of day 2 after surgery.
Actions: Encourage 1,500 mL of fluids daily unless restricted, give the prescribed stool softener and assist her to the chair for meals.
Evaluation: Goal met if she has a bowel movement by day 2.
Reflection on Clinical Judgment
Working through the cues showed me how the problems connect, which is the interpreting phase described by Tanner (2006): pain limits breathing and movement, and low oxygen can worsen confusion. Treating pain well supports three of the four goals, and noticing those links is the step the clinical judgment model calls analyzing cues (Dickison et al., 2019).
References
Dickison, P., Haerling, K. A., & Lasater, K. (2019). Integrating the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Clinical Judgment Model into nursing educational frameworks. Journal of Nursing Education, 58(2), 72-78. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20190122-03
Herdman, T. H., Kamitsuru, S., & Lopes, C. T. (Eds.). (2024). NANDA International nursing diagnoses: Definitions and classification 2024-2026 (13th ed.). Thieme.
Tanner, C. A. (2006). Thinking like a nurse: A research-based model of clinical judgment in nursing. Journal of Nursing Education, 45(6), 204-211. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20060601-04
NUR 330 Module 2 instructions, in plain terms
The clinical judgment care plan spans Modules 7 and 8 of NUR 330, Clinical Judgment and Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment Application Part 2. The syllabus describes it as a critical thinking and clinical judgment case study in which students complete a conceptual care plan, creating SMART goals and prioritizing care after watching a clinical judgment video. A ticket-in on knowledge levels for nursing and priority-setting frameworks prepares you for it. Worth 11 points, it is the largest of the course's in-class activities. The case comes from the course video, so read the instructions in Canvas for the specific template your section uses, and expect to show how you chose which problem comes first.
How this NUR 330 Module 2 example is built
Built as a conceptual care plan, the sample starts with the patient and separates relevant from less relevant cues. It names four nursing problems, each with a related factor and the evidence for it. A prioritization section ranks the problems using the ABCs, Maslow's hierarchy and acute-before-chronic reasoning and explains how pain links to the other problems. For each problem, the plan gives a SMART goal, nursing actions with a rationale for each and an evaluation statement that says how the nurse will know the goal was met. A short reflection connects the problems, showing the noticing and interpreting that Tanner (2006) places at the heart of clinical judgment. Three sources support the plan.
NUR 330 Module 2 rubric: what earns full marks
In-class activities are graded on criteria posted in Canvas, and this care plan carries 11 points. Conceptual care plans in a first-semester course are usually judged on accurate identification of relevant cues, problems stated with related factors and supporting evidence, a prioritization that uses a named framework with reasons, goals that meet every SMART element, actions that match each goal with rationales and evaluation that measures the goal. Plans lose points when goals are vague or not time-bound, when actions lack rationales, when priorities are listed without explanation and when the evaluation repeats the goal without a measure. Because the activity spans two modules, use the first session's feedback in the second. Plans that show how one intervention supports more than one goal demonstrate the connected thinking the clinical judgment model describes.
NUR 330 Module 2 help from the desk
Goals such as "she will be comfortable" leave the nurse unable to judge success at the end of the shift. Name the measure and the time frame. Another is ranking problems without saying why; use the ABCs or Maslow and explain. Make sure each action has a reason, often starting with "because." Do not list every possible problem; choose the most important ones and connect them. Separate relevant and irrelevant cues before naming problems. Use the course's care plan template and terminology. If you send the desk the cues from your video case, it can help you check your prioritization. Check that your evaluation statement uses the same measure and time frame as the goal it evaluates.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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NUR 330 Module 2 questions, answered
Where can I find a free NUR 330 Module 2 sample paper?
A complete NUR 330 Module 2 sample is above: a conceptual care plan for a 78-year-old after hip fracture surgery, with prioritization, SMART goals, actions and evaluation.
What is a SMART goal in a nursing care plan?
One that names exactly what will happen, how it will be measured, that it is realistic and relevant, and by when, for example a saturation of 95% or more before the shift ends.
How do you prioritize nursing problems?
Use frameworks such as airway, breathing and circulation first, Maslow's hierarchy and acute before chronic, and explain why each problem ranks where it does.
What is a conceptual care plan?
A care plan that maps the patient's cues to nursing problems, priorities, goals, actions and evaluation, showing how the problems connect.
How much is the NUR 330 care plan worth?
The critical thinking and clinical judgment care plan is worth 11 points, the largest in-class activity in the course.