Description

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The first of the five steps in the nursing process, the initial nursing assessment entails the systematic and ongoing collection of data; organizing, sorting, and analyzing that data; furthermore, the documentation and correspondence of the information gathered. When used in the nursing process, critical thinking skills provide a decision-making framework for the creation of an evidence-based practice-based patient care plan. Instead of a trial-and-error, one-size-fits-all approach, this idea of precision education to tailor care based on an individual's unique cultural, spiritual, and physical needs produces better results.