The Nursing Process: A Case Study
The nursing process comprises the steps necessary for a nurse to provide complete and comprehensive care. It has been likened to the scientific method utilized by scientists. According to Treas & Wilkinson (2014), the components--or phases--of the nursing process are assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. While not always listed as such, documentation is also considered a necessary phase of the nursing process. Each phase is described below:
Assessment - That phase of the nursing process whereby a nurse obtains information regarding a particular client’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual status through questioning the client and family members and through examination of the client.
Diagnosis(es) …show more content…
Evaluation - During the evaluation phase of the nursing process, the nurse assesses the efficacy of the nursing plan enacted, making modifications as necessary if and when certain outcomes fail to be realized successfully. Different treatment modalities may be instituted in an effort to actualize the desired outcome(s).
Note that during all phases of the nursing process, meticulous documentation of the information gathered, the diagnoses and plans formulated, the plans implemented, and the findings of evaluations must take place to reflect continuity of care.
Nurses utilize the nursing process continuously while caring for clients. In doing so, the nurse takes on multiple roles to clients during any given phase of the nursing process. For example, in the implementation phase, the nurse simultaneously fulfills many roles. According to Smolowitz, Speakman, Wojnar, Whelan, Ulrich, Hayes, & Wood (2015), one such role would be that of caregiver (i.e. providing direct care to clients); another such role would be that of educator (i.e. instructing clients on the rationale behind selecting one particular treatment over another, how to perform said treatments, and how to administer medications); and lastly, an important …show more content…
Four such methods of assessing a client’s health are: comprehensive assessment, ongoing partial assessment, focused assessment, and emergency assessment. As delineated by Treas & Wilkinson (2014), each is described
Assessment - That phase of the nursing process whereby a nurse obtains information regarding a particular client’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual status through questioning the client and family members and through examination of the client.
Diagnosis(es) …show more content…
Evaluation - During the evaluation phase of the nursing process, the nurse assesses the efficacy of the nursing plan enacted, making modifications as necessary if and when certain outcomes fail to be realized successfully. Different treatment modalities may be instituted in an effort to actualize the desired outcome(s).
Note that during all phases of the nursing process, meticulous documentation of the information gathered, the diagnoses and plans formulated, the plans implemented, and the findings of evaluations must take place to reflect continuity of care.
Nurses utilize the nursing process continuously while caring for clients. In doing so, the nurse takes on multiple roles to clients during any given phase of the nursing process. For example, in the implementation phase, the nurse simultaneously fulfills many roles. According to Smolowitz, Speakman, Wojnar, Whelan, Ulrich, Hayes, & Wood (2015), one such role would be that of caregiver (i.e. providing direct care to clients); another such role would be that of educator (i.e. instructing clients on the rationale behind selecting one particular treatment over another, how to perform said treatments, and how to administer medications); and lastly, an important …show more content…
Four such methods of assessing a client’s health are: comprehensive assessment, ongoing partial assessment, focused assessment, and emergency assessment. As delineated by Treas & Wilkinson (2014), each is described