(plan'ing )

In the nursing process, the step following nursing diagnosis. After the nursing diagnoses have been established, the next action is noting the priority of the diagnoses and indicating the actions that will accomplish the immediate and long-range goals of the nursing process. Specific nursing interventions are indicated, and the expected outcomes of these actions are recorded on the chart. This portion of the nursing process is dynamic and will need to be altered as the patient's course evolves. The evaluation of the effectiveness of the nursing process will be essential to restating the plan for administering nursing care.

SEE: nursing process; nursing assessment; evaluation; nursing intervention; problem-oriented medical record.