What step of the nursing process is the nurse completing when reviewing a client’s laboratory values before medication administration?

The nurse is completing the assessment step of the nursing process when reviewing a client’s laboratory values before administering medication. Assessment involves collecting comprehensive data pertinent to the patient’s health situation, which includes evaluating laboratory results. By reviewing these values, the nurse gathers crucial information that informs clinical decision-making, ensuring medications are administered safely and effectively.

This step is foundational in nursing practice, as it allows the nurse to identify any potential issues that could affect the patient’s response to medication, such as abnormal lab results that may indicate organ dysfunction or other medical conditions. Accurate assessment is key to planning appropriate interventions and evaluating their effectiveness later.

In contrast, the diagnosis stage involves analyzing the data gathered during assessment to identify potential health issues, while planning is about developing a nursing care plan based on the assessment and diagnosis. Evaluation, on the other hand, assesses the effectiveness of the nursing interventions after they have been implemented. Each step is critical, but in this case, the act of reviewing laboratory values falls squarely within the assessment phase.