Will critical pathways replace the nursing process?

Abstract

Individualised care is the essence of nursing and regard for the individual is the battle against the impersonal institution. Unfortunately, attempts to manage the process of individualised care have often ended in failure (Ford and Walsh 1994). Some observers maintain that the rigid behaviour which characterises the nursing process contradicts the intuitive nature and individualistic approaches which are fundamental to nursing practice (Benner 1984). This article reviews the concept of critical pathways, a new approach to managing patient care.