Fundamentals of Nursing Practice · Nursing Process
Planning, Prioritization, Goals, and Nursing Interventions
On this page 7 sections
In 30 seconds
Planning Turning diagnoses into a prioritized care plan Full entry → is the nursing-process step that converts diagnoses into a prioritized, individualized plan of care. Priorities follow Safety Protection from harm Full entry → first — the ABCs Airway, Breathing, Circulation Full entry → (airway, breathing, circulation) and Maslow's hierarchy Framework ranking needs from survival to self-actualization Full entry → — then urgent over nonurgent needs. The nurse writes SMART goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound Full entry → with measurable Expected outcomes Measurable evidence the goal is being met Full entry → and selects interventions that are independent, dependent, or collaborative, grounded in evidence and within Scope of practice What a nurse is legally permitted to do Full entry →.
Why this matters
Planning must respect the client's autonomy and values: goals are set with the client, not for the client, and individualized to culture, preferences, and resources. Dependent interventions require valid orders, and every intervention must stay within the nurse's scope of practice as defined by the Nurse Practice Act and institutional policy, which vary by jurisdiction and institution. Evidence-based selection Choosing interventions backed by best evidence Full entry → protects clients from outdated or ineffective care, and a written Care plan Organized record of diagnoses, goals, and interventions Full entry → supports accountability, continuity, and team communication.
The college version
1. Setting Priorities
Planning begins with prioritization. Maslow's hierarchy ranks needs — physiological (air, water, food, elimination) first, then safety, then love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization — and the ABCs (airway, breathing, circulation) sit at the very top. Safety is always considered alongside physiological needs. Urgent problems are addressed before nonurgent ones, and the nurse re-prioritizes as the client's status changes.
2. Goals and Expected Outcomes
A goal is a broad statement of the desired result; an expected outcome is the specific, measurable evidence that the goal is being met. Both should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Outcomes describe client behavior or status (not nurse actions) and give a clear target to evaluate later.
3. Interventions and the Care Plan
Nursing interventions are actions the nurse performs to help the client reach outcomes. Independent interventions are nurse-initiated (for example, teaching or repositioning); dependent interventions require a provider's order (for example, administering a medication); collaborative interventions are done with other professionals (for example, working with a dietitian). The care plan organizes diagnoses, goals, outcomes, and interventions; a Concept map Visual diagram linking data, diagnoses, and care Full entry → is a visual alternative. Interventions should be evidence-based, individualized to the client, and within the nurse's scope of practice.
How it works
- Prioritize diagnoses using the ABCs, Maslow's hierarchy, and safety.
- Separate urgent from nonurgent needs.
- Partner with the client to set SMART goals.
- Define measurable expected outcomes.
- Select evidence-based interventions (independent, dependent, collaborative).
- Individualize the plan and confirm scope of practice.
- Document and communicate the plan, and revisit it as the client changes.
Common confusions
| Do not confuse | With | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Expected outcome | Broad desired result vs. measurable evidence |
| Independent intervention | Dependent intervention | Nurse-initiated vs. requires an order |
| Dependent intervention | Collaborative intervention | Needs a provider order vs. done with other disciplines |
| Priority setting | Personal preference | Clinical urgency and safety vs. individual likes |
| Care plan | Concept map | Linear written plan vs. visual diagram |
| Outcome | Intervention | What the client achieves vs. what the nurse does |
Memory aids
Use SMART for every goal: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound — and set ABC priorities (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) before anything else.
Quick review
Topic Recap
- Planning turns diagnoses into a prioritized, Individualized care Tailoring the plan to the client Full entry → plan.
- Prioritize by the ABCs, Maslow's hierarchy, and safety; urgent before nonurgent.
- Write SMART goals and measurable expected outcomes.
- Interventions are independent, dependent, or collaborative and must be evidence-based and within scope.
- The care plan (or concept map) is the roadmap that implementation will follow.
Knowledge Check
- In what order should airway, safety, and self-actualization needs be prioritized?
- What does each letter of SMART stand for?
- Give an example of each: an independent, a dependent, and a Collaborative intervention Action done with other disciplines Full entry →.
- What is the difference between a goal and an expected outcome?
- Why must a dependent intervention have a provider's order?
Answers and Rationales
- Airway first (ABCs), then safety, then self-actualization — following the ABCs and Maslow's hierarchy.
- Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.
- Independent: teaching a client about a medication; dependent: administering a prescribed medication; collaborative: working with a physical therapist on mobility.
- A goal is a broad desired result; an expected outcome is the specific, measurable evidence that it is being met.
- Because it is outside the nurse's independent authority — the order legally authorizes the action and ensures it is within scope of practice.
Eli explains
The same idea, in plain words
Explain it like I’m 10
Planning is like planning a trip once you know where you are going and what might go wrong. First you decide what must be handled before anything else — you would not fix a broken radio before a flat tire. In nursing, the "flat tires" are airway, breathing, and circulation (the ABCs) and basic survival needs (Maslow's hierarchy). Then you set clear destinations (goals) with checkable milestones (expected outcomes) and choose the route (interventions). The comparison stops being exact because a person's condition changes constantly, so the plan is always being re-prioritized — and the nurse shares the driving with the client, family, and other professionals rather than deciding alone.
Simple Example
For a client with a diagnosis of "Risk for Falls related to unsteady gait," the nurse prioritizes safety (Maslow's second level and a core safety need). A SMART goal might be: "The client will remain free from falls during hospitalization." An expected outcome: "The client will use the call light and a walker when ambulating by the end of the shift." Interventions could include an independent action (teaching and supervised ambulation) and a collaborative action (consulting physical therapy).
Worked example
- The nurse reviews the prioritized diagnoses and identifies which needs are most urgent — airway and breathing first, then safety and other physiological needs, using Maslow and the ABCs.
- The nurse collaborates with the client to write SMART goals and measurable expected outcomes that reflect what the client values.
- The nurse selects evidence-based interventions, choosing independent actions where possible and identifying which require an order (dependent) or another discipline (collaborative).
- The nurse individualizes the plan to the client's preferences, culture, and resources, and confirms that every intervention is within scope of practice.
- The nurse documents the care plan, communicates it to the team, and escalates any priority that signals a safety risk or a need for urgent provider evaluation — warning signs such as airway compromise or new chest pain require qualified clinical evaluation, institutional escalation, or local emergency services.
Key takeaways
- High yield: ABCs (airway, breathing, circulation) come first, then safety and other physiological needs per Maslow.
- High yield: Maslow: physiological → safety → love and belonging → esteem → self-actualization.
- High yield: SMART = Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.
- High yield: Goals and outcomes describe the client, not the nurse.
- High yield: Independent = nurse-initiated; dependent = requires an order; collaborative = with other disciplines.
- High yield: The care plan links diagnosis → goal → outcome → intervention.
- High yield: Re-prioritize continuously — client status changes.
Study tools & related lessonsYou’ll learn to · Key vocabulary · Related
You’ll learn to
- Describe the planning step of the nursing process and how priorities are set.
- Apply Maslow's hierarchy and the ABCs to prioritize client needs.
- Write SMART goals and measurable expected outcomes.
- Differentiate independent, dependent, and collaborative interventions and describe the care plan and concept map.
Key vocabulary
- Planning
- Turning diagnoses into a prioritized care plan
- Clinical priorities
- Ranking needs by urgency and importance
- Maslow's hierarchy
- Framework ranking needs from survival to self-actualization
- ABCs
- Airway, Breathing, Circulation
- Safety
- Protection from harm
- Urgent vs. nonurgent
- Time-sensitive vs. can-wait needs
- SMART goals
- Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound
- Expected outcomes
- Measurable evidence the goal is being met
- Nursing intervention
- Action the nurse performs to meet outcomes
- Independent intervention
- Nurse-initiated action (no order needed)
- Dependent intervention
- Action requiring a provider's order
- Collaborative intervention
- Action done with other disciplines
- Care plan
- Organized record of diagnoses, goals, and interventions
- Concept map
- Visual diagram linking data, diagnoses, and care
- Evidence-based selection
- Choosing interventions backed by best evidence
- Individualized care
- Tailoring the plan to the client
- Scope of practice
- What a nurse is legally permitted to do
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