What is the primary focus of the planning phase?

• A. Documenting the plan of care only.
• B. Prioritizing diagnoses after discharge.
• C. Developing short- and long-term goals only, with no plan for interventions.
• D. In the planning phase, the nurse prioritizes diagnoses, formulates desired outcomes, and selects nursing interventions that can help the patient return to wellness; includes drug administration and patient teaching.

Answer: (D)

Planning turns assessment and diagnoses into a concrete, patient-centered course of action. It involves prioritizing the most important problems, setting clear, measurable outcomes, and selecting nursing interventions that will help the patient move toward wellness. In pharmacology, this means deciding which drug therapies to use, how and when to administer them, and how to monitor for effectiveness and safety. It also includes patient teaching about medications—how to take them, why they’re prescribed, potential interactions and side effects, and when to seek help. The plan should lay out expected timelines and criteria for success, and it links what you’ll do with what you hope to achieve.

This goes beyond simply documenting a plan, and it isn’t about prioritizing diagnoses after discharge or providing goals without any actions. The strongest plan integrates diagnoses, outcomes, and actionable interventions (including drug administration and education) to guide care toward the desired patient outcomes.