In nursing care, which step involves evaluating whether patient outcomes were achieved?

• A. Assessment
• B. Planning
• C. Evaluation
• D. Implementation

Answer: (C)

Evaluating whether patient outcomes were achieved focuses on measuring the results of care and determining if the goals were met. After implementing nursing interventions, you compare actual patient status to the predefined outcomes, analyze any variances, and decide whether to continue the plan, modify it, or discontinue it. This evaluation can be ongoing as care proceeds and is finalized when goals are reviewed. For example, if the goal is pain control, you assess pain scores and function to see if the target is reached; if not, you adjust analgesia or nonpharmacologic strategies. The other steps involve gathering data (assessment), deciding what to do (planning), and carrying out those actions (implementation), not judging the effectiveness of the results.