In the nursing process, observe is to assess as determine is to:

In the nursing process, observe is to assess as determine is to:

• A. Plan
• B. Analyze
• C. Diagnose
• D. Implement

Answer: (C)

In the nursing process, turning what you observe into a clear understanding of the patient’s health status is the step of diagnosing. When you determine from the data you’ve gathered what problem the patient is experiencing that nursing care can address, you’re forming a nursing diagnosis. It’s about interpreting evidence to identify a health problem or a potential problem that requires nursing intervention. The other steps are different stages: planning is deciding what care to provide and setting goals, implementing is carrying out those actions, and evaluating is assessing how well the patient outcomes meet the goals. While you may analyze data during assessment, the formal label for the conclusion drawn from assessment data is diagnosis. For example, if assessment shows chest pain, elevated heart rate, and shortness of breath, the determination would be a nursing diagnosis such as acute pain or impaired gas exchange, not planning, implementing, or evaluating.

In the nursing process, turning what you observe into a clear understanding of the patient’s health status is the step of diagnosing. When you determine from the data you’ve gathered what problem the patient is experiencing that nursing care can address, you’re forming a nursing diagnosis. It’s about interpreting evidence to identify a health problem or a potential problem that requires nursing intervention.

The other steps are different stages: planning is deciding what care to provide and setting goals, implementing is carrying out those actions, and evaluating is assessing how well the patient outcomes meet the goals. While you may analyze data during assessment, the formal label for the conclusion drawn from assessment data is diagnosis. For example, if assessment shows chest pain, elevated heart rate, and shortness of breath, the determination would be a nursing diagnosis such as acute pain or impaired gas exchange, not planning, implementing, or evaluating.