The Nursing Process
Dr. Valerie A. Cohen
Assessment, Nursing Diagnosis,
Planning, Implementing, and
EvaluationWhat is the Nursing Process?
It is a
... [Show More] form of scientific reasoning. It involves critical thinking that includes
assessing and analyzing human responses to plan and implement nursing care that
meets patients’ needs as evidenced by evaluation of patient outcomes
COMPONENTS OF THE NURSING PROCESS
1. Assessment
2. Diagnosis
3. Planning
4. Implementation
5. EvaluationWhat is the Nursing Process?
• A special way of thinking and acting. It is a systematic, creative approach used to
identify, prevent, and treat actual or potential health problems; identify patients
strengths; and promote wellness.
• Applying the principles from each of the five steps helps you:
– 1. Organize and prioritize your patient care
– 2. Keep the focus on what’s important-the patient’s health status and quality of life.
– 3. Form thinking habits that help you gain the confidence and skills you need to think
critically in clinical, theoretical, and testing situations.
• It is a deliberate but flexible guide for planning, implementing, and evaluating
effective, individualized nursing care.Nursing Process and Critical Thinking
• How can the nursing process promote critical thinking?
– Purposeful, Organized, and Systematic
• Each step is designed to achieve a specific purpose. Ex: Assessment aims to gather the facts you
need to determine health status. Diagnosis aims to analyze those facts to identify the problems
and risks involved. (Helps the nurse avoid missing anything important.)
– Humanistic
– Based on the belief that we must consider patients’ unique interests, values, needs, and
culture
• The nursing process guides nurses to focus holistically on the body, mind, and spirit.
• It pushes nurses to consider health problems in context of how they impact on sense of wellbeing and ability to be independent.
– Ex: Suppose Bob has severe arthritis. You work to understand how it impacts on his ability to work, to do
desired activities, to sleep, and to function in his role as father of three young children. [Show Less]