In nursing practice, assessment is defined as which of the following?

• A. Coordination of care refers to delivering care to the client.
• B. The process of collection of comprehensive data pertinent to the client's health and/or situation.
• C. Diagnosis refers to analyzing the assessment data to determine diagnoses or issues.
• D. Consultation is the process where a registered nurse discusses with other healthcare providers to influence the plan, enhance the abilities of other caregivers, and effect change.

Answer: (B)

In nursing practice, assessment is the process of gathering comprehensive data pertinent to the client's health and/or situation. This means collecting both subjective information from the patient and objective data from the physical exam, vital signs, lab results, and records from family, other providers, and the chart. The goal is to establish a baseline of the patient’s health, identify actual and potential problems, and guide the rest of the nursing process. Data are validated, organized, and used to recognize patterns and set priorities for care.

The other activities—delivering and coordinating care, analyzing data to determine diagnoses, and consulting with other providers to influence the plan—occur after assessment.