A nurse is using assessment data gathered about a patient and combining critical thinking to develop a nursing diagnosis. What is the nurse doing?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Diagnostic reasoning. The nurse is utilizing assessment data to analyze and interpret the information to develop a nursing diagnosis. This involves critical thinking skills to make conclusions and create a plan of care.
A: Assigning clinical cues - This choice is incorrect as it refers to identifying objective and subjective data during assessment, not the process of analyzing and synthesizing data to form a diagnosis.
B: Defining characteristics - This choice is incorrect as it typically refers to the specific manifestations or symptoms associated with a particular nursing diagnosis, not the process of diagnosing itself.
D: Diagnostic labeling - This choice is incorrect as it refers to the final step in the nursing diagnosis process where the nurse assigns a label to the identified problem, not the overall process of diagnostic reasoning.