The nurse is reviewing a patient’s database for significant changes and discovers that the patient has not voided in over 8 hours. The patient’s kidney function lab results are abnormal, and the patient’s oral intake has significantly decreased since previous shifts. Which step of the nursing process should the nurse proceed to after this review?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Diagnosis. After reviewing the patient's database and identifying concerning findings such as abnormal kidney function, lack of voiding, and decreased oral intake, the nurse needs to move to the diagnosis step of the nursing process. This involves analyzing the data collected to identify the patient's health problems and risks. In this case, the nurse needs to determine potential underlying issues related to the kidney function abnormalities and lack of voiding, and formulate a nursing diagnosis based on the findings.
Summary of other choices:
B: Planning comes after diagnosis and involves setting goals and creating a plan of care.
C: Implementation follows planning and involves carrying out the plan of care.
D: Evaluation is the final step of the nursing process where the nurse assesses the effectiveness of the interventions implemented.