What is included in the assessment step of the nursing process?

The assessment step of the nursing process is crucial for gathering comprehensive information about a patient’s health status. This step involves careful observation and evaluation to collect data that reflects the patient’s physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. By performing thorough assessments, nurses can identify patient problems, monitor changes, and develop appropriate care plans tailored to individual patient needs.

Assessments typically include taking medical histories, conducting physical examinations, and leveraging various diagnostic tools. This detailed process lays the foundation for the subsequent steps in the nursing process, such as diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Without an accurate assessment, the overall care may be misdirected or inadequate.

In contrast, the other options focus on aspects that do not fully encompass the assessment step. Evaluating previous treatment is part of the evaluation step, prescription of medication pertains to the planning or implementation stages, and establishing relationships with the patient is a vital part of communication and care delivery, but it does not constitute the assessment step itself.