What are the five steps of the nursing process (ADPIE) in the correct order?

• A. Assess, Diagnose, Plan, Implement, Evaluate
• B. Assess, Plan, Diagnose, Implement, Evaluate
• C. Diagnose, Assess, Plan, Implement, Evaluate
• D. Assess, Diagnose, Implement, Plan, Evaluate

Answer: (A)

The nursing process follows a systematic sequence that guides patient care. Start with Assess, gathering comprehensive data from the patient, including subjective reports, objective findings, and relevant observations from tests or family input. This step establishes what is happening and what the patient needs. Next, Diagnose involves analyzing the data to identify nursing diagnoses—the problems nurses can address—based on patterns in the information collected. Then Plan focuses on setting patient-centered goals and choosing specific, evidence-based interventions to reach those goals, prioritizing safety and anticipated outcomes. Implement is putting the plan into action through the chosen interventions, teaching, treatments, and coordination of care. Finally, Evaluate means reviewing the patient’s response to the interventions and the extent to which goals were met, then adjusting the plan as necessary. This order matters because each step builds on the previous one: you can’t plan or implement effectively without a solid assessment and accurate nursing diagnoses, and you don’t know whether your actions worked until you evaluate the results.