What is the primary purpose of the nursing process?

The primary purpose of the nursing process is to guide patient care and improve health outcomes. This structured framework involves a series of steps—assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation—that nurses use to critically think and systematically approach patient care. By following this process, nurses can thoroughly assess a patient's needs, identify actual or potential health problems, develop care plans tailored to the individual, implement interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of those interventions.

This holistic approach ensures that care is personalized and evidence-based, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes and satisfaction. Focusing on patient-centered care fosters a more effective healing environment and enables nurses to adapt to changing conditions of patients' health, making the nursing process critical in delivering quality healthcare.