What activity should the nurse use in the evaluation phase of the nursing process?

• A. Develop a new care plan
• B. Document only vitals
• C. Examine the effectiveness of nursing interventions toward meeting client outcomes
• D. Focus only on patient satisfaction

Answer: (C)

Evaluation centers on determining whether the care plan achieved the desired outcomes by examining how well the nursing interventions worked. After implementing care, the nurse compares actual patient results with the expected goals, analyzes any gaps, and decides whether to continue, modify, or stop interventions. This step closes the loop of the nursing process by showing the effectiveness of the plan and guiding next steps.

For example, if a goal is to reduce pain from a certain level within a set time, evaluation looks at the actual pain rating and functional improvement after interventions. If the goal is met, care can continue as is; if only partial progress is made or goals aren’t met, the plan is revised accordingly.

Developing a new care plan belongs to planning, not evaluation. Simply documenting vitals is ongoing data collection rather than assessing overall effectiveness. Focusing only on patient satisfaction misses whether the clinical outcomes and nursing interventions actually worked.