A patient who is hospitalized for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease wants to go home. The nurse and the patient discuss the patient’s situation and decide that the patient may go home when able to perform self-care without dyspnea and hypoxia. This is an example of which phase of the nursing process?
Explanation & Rationale
A. Assessment involves gathering data about the patient’s condition, but in this case, the nurse and patient are making a decision about discharge criteria, which falls under planning. B. Evaluation occurs after interventions have been implemented to determine whether goals have been met. Since the patient has not yet attempted self-care, this phase has not been reached. C. Implementation refers to carrying out nursing interventions, such as administering medications or assisting with breathing exercises. The discussion about discharge criteria is a planning activity rather than an intervention. D. Planning involves setting goals and determining the criteria for discharge, which is what the nurse and patient are doing by establishing that the patient may go home when self-care can be performed without dyspnea or hypoxia.