A male patient received physical therapy and has regained his mobility after his knee replacement surgery. The nurse interacts with physical therapy to determine if the patient is ready to be discharged from the skilled unit. What step of the nursing process is the nurse using?

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

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is evaluating whether expected outcomes have been met and if the patient is ready for discharge. After goals are set and actions are taken to help the patient regain mobility, the nurse reviews the actual progress with the physical therapist and decides if the discharge criteria are satisfied. This judging of outcomes and determining next steps is the evaluation phase of the nursing process. If goals weren’t met, the plan would be reassessed and adjusted, but with mobility regained and discharge readiness confirmed, evaluation is the step being used.