The Nursing Process: Response To Health And Illness

“The nursing process is a critical thinking process that professional nurses use, to apply the best available evidence to caregiving and promoting human functions and responses to health and illness” (American Nurses Association, 2010). (Potter & Perry, p. 206). This is a continuous goal-directed process that is centered on client care. The nursing process is available for each problem and it is important for the process to be well documented to enhance continuity of care by others members of the care team. For instance, in a client has high blood pressure, diabetes and shortness of breath; there should be a nursing process for each of this process. The nursing process may end at any time during the process if the client’s needs are met. In the same light, if at the end of the process the clients’ needs are not met, the nurse …show more content…
1. Assessment: This is the first step of the nursing process. A nursing student uses a dynamic method to collect data from the client about his/her condition. During assessment; the nurse observes the client, actively listens and ask specific questions to understand the client’s problem. As a student nurse, I shall examine my patient’s skin for redness and skin breakdown and document properly. I shall take photos of any impaired skin so that I may refer to during the evaluation phase.
2. Diagnosis: after a proper assessment, the nurse diagnosis the client problem. Clinical judgment is required to come up with the correct diagnosis. As a student nurse, clinical reasoning skills are necessary to work with the patient/client, in developing a feasible plan to address the situation. As a nursing student, I shall discuss with the patient the pros for keeping active to prevent skin breakdown and promote circulation. This will include; repositioning every two hours, offering elimination assistance, taking pain medications as needed or as prescribed and the importance of ambulating the following day as