A male patient has inquired about the physical therapy he will be receiving to regain his mobility after his knee replacement surgery. The nurse will interact with physical therapy to coordinate his plan of care. What step of the nursing process it the nurse using?

• A. Assessment
• B. Intervention
• C. Planning
• D. Evaluation

Answer: (C)

Coordinating with physical therapy to map out and align the patient’s care plan is planning. This step focuses on setting goals, organizing how care will be provided, and bringing together different team members to work toward mobility after knee surgery. It’s not about gathering data (assessment), performing the actual therapy (intervention), or judging whether goals were met after the care is delivered (evaluation). Planning creates the roadmap that the rest of the nursing process uses to guide implementation and later review.