Which links strategies or interventions to established outcomes?

• A. Nursing diagnoses
• B. Outcomes
• C. Planning
• D. Evaluation

Answer: (C)

In the nursing process, planning is about turning desired results into action. It links the chosen strategies or interventions to each established outcome by selecting specific nursing actions, arranging them in a practical order, setting timing, assigning responsibilities, and outlining how success will be measured. This phase creates the roadmap that shows exactly what will be done to achieve the outcomes and how progress will be evaluated. Nursing diagnoses identify problems, outcomes define the expected results, and evaluation checks whether those results were met; planning is where the interventions are matched to the outcomes to drive progress. For example, if the outcome is pain reduced to a mild level, the plan would specify analgesic administration, nonpharmacologic relief methods, and the timeframe, with criteria to determine if the target is reached.