In: Nursing
Document The nursing process definition and all standards of practice.
The nursing process is the framework for providing professional, quality nursing care. It directs nursing activities for health promotion, health protection, and disease prevention and is used by nurses in every practice setting and specialty. The nursing process provides the basis for critical thinking in nursing. The purpose of the nursing process is to provide care for clients that is individualized, holistic, effective, and efficient. The steps of the nursing process build upon each other, but they are not linear. There is overlap of each step with the previous and subsequent steps. The nursing process is the foundation of clinical decision making and includes all significant actions taken by nurses in providing care to clients. Within these are the nursing responsibilities for diversity , safety, education, health promotion, treatment , self care, and planning for the continuity of care.
Standards are professionally developed expressions of the range of acceptable variations from a norm.
Standards may be defined as Benchmark of achievement which is based on a desired level of excellence.
Criteria are pre-determined elements against which aspects of the quality of medical service may be compared.
All standards of practice provide a guide to the knowledge, skills, judgment & attitudes that are needed to practice safely.
They reflect a desired and achievable level of performance against which actual performance can be compared. Their main purpose is to promote, guide and direct professional nursing practice.