Which option correctly lists the five components of the nursing process?

• A. Assessment, planning, diagnosis, implementation, evaluation.
• B. Assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• C. Assessment, diagnosis, planning, evaluation, and execution.
• D. Assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and discharge.

Answer: (B)

The five steps of the nursing process are assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The term “nursing diagnosis” is used to distinguish the nursing assessment of patient needs from a medical diagnosis, which is why that step must include the word nursing. After identifying the patient’s needs, planning establishes goals and a plan of care, followed by implementation to carry out the plan, and finally evaluation to determine if goals were met and to guide any necessary changes. This sequence exactly matches the option that lists assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Other options use nonstandard terms such as execution or discharge, or omit the nursing qualifier for diagnosis, which shifts the emphasis away from the nursing process.