What it means
The six parts of the nursing processNUR-sing PRAH-sesThe step-by-step method nurses use to plan and give care: assess, diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate.Full entry as set out in the ANA Standards of Practice. The nurse gathers data, identifies nursing problems, sets measurable goals, plans interventions, carries them out and evaluates whether the goals were met, then goes around the cycle again.
For the nurse
On the exam, when a question asks what to do first, assessment usually comes before acting, unless the client is in immediate danger.
Related terms
assess
To gather information about a client by looking, listening, asking, measuring and examining.
intervention
An action taken to help a client, such as a treatment, a test, a teaching session or a nursing action.
evaluate
To judge whether care worked by comparing the client's results with the goals that were set.
American Nurses Association
The professional organization for registered nurses in the United States.
nursing process
The step-by-step method nurses use to plan and give care: assess, diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate.