Critical Thinking- Nursing Process

Nursing process

The Nursing Process

·         An organizational framework for the practice of nursing

·         Orderly, systematic

·         Central to all nursing care

·         Encompasses all steps taken by the nurse in caring for a patient

Definition of the Nursing Process

An organized sequence of problem-solving steps used to identify and to manage the health problems of clients

Nursing process is an organized systematic method of giving goal oriented, humanistic care.

Benefits of Nursing Process

1.       Provides an orderly & systematic method for planning & providing care

2.       Enhances nursing efficiency by standardizing nursing practice

3.       Facilitates documentation of care

4.       Provides a unity of language for the nursing profession

5.       Stresses the independent function of nurses

6.       Increases care quality through the use of deliberate actions

Characteristics of the Nursing Process

1.       Within the legal scope of nursing

2.       Based on knowledge-requiring critical thinking

3.       Planned-organized and systematic

4.       Client-centered

5.       Goal-directed

6.       Prioritized

7.       Dynamic

Steps of nursing process:

1.       Assessment

2.       Diagnosis and Objective

3.       Planning and Rationale

4.       Implementation

5.       Evaluation

Nursing process overview

Nurses apply the nursing process as a competency when delivering patient care.

The nursing process is a five step clinical decision making approach: assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation