Overview
Introduction
Every nursing decision begins with two questions: what threatens this patient's safety now, and what information will change the next action?
Every nursing decision begins with two questions: what threatens this patient's safety now, and what information will change the next action? The nursing process turns those questions into a repeatable cycle. Assessment gathers data; nursing diagnosis interprets the response; planning sets priorities and measurable outcomes; implementation delivers care; evaluation tests whether the plan worked. It is a loop, not five isolated steps: a new finding or inadequate response sends the nurse back to assessment and reprioritization. In Canada, the RN's authority to perform, assign, or delegate care is bounded by provincial or territorial legislation, regulatory standards, employer policy, and personal competence. Terminology and delegation requirements vary by jurisdiction. Delegating a task does not transfer accountability for the RN's clinical judgment or evaluation of the outcome.