Nursing Process Objectives

These flashcards cover key terms and definitions related to the nursing process, including phases, types of diagnoses, and essential characteristics.

Nursing Process

An organized, systematic way of thinking about patient care that requires critical thinking to promote competent care.

Assessment

The phase of the nursing process where nurses recognize cues and gather relevant information about patients.

Nursing Diagnosis

Clinical judgment about actual or potential individual, family, or community experiences/responses to health problems.

Planning

The phase of the nursing process where solutions are generated based on assessments and diagnoses.

Implementation

The phase in the nursing process where actions are taken to meet patient goals and planned interventions.

Evaluation

The final step of the nursing process, assessing whether the client's condition or well-being improves.

Critical Thinking

Outcome-based thinking that guides the nurse's judgments in decision-making processes.

Evidence-based

A characteristic of the nursing process that emphasizes the use of current research and data.

NANDA International

An organization that provides a common language for health problems that nurses deal with.

Goal Setting (SMART goals)

Formulating specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound objectives for patient care.

Direct Care

Actions taken to provide physical care and assistance to patients in daily living activities.

Indirect Care

Nursing interventions that involve supporting care, such as documentation and supervision of other staff.

Potential Problem

A category of nursing diagnosis that indicates the risk for the patient to develop health issues.

Actual Problem

A nursing diagnosis based on the current response of a patient to a medical problem.

Prioritize Hypotheses

Evaluating and ranking diagnoses or conditions according to their urgency and seriousness.