Frequently Asked Questions
Chapter 14: Implementation

What activities are parts of nursing implementation?

Nursing implementation includes ongoing assessment, establishment of priorities, allocation of resources, initiation of nursing interventions, documentation of interventions, and documentation of client responses.

What are the skills required in the implementation phase of the nursing process?

The implementation phase of the nursing process requires cognitive (intellectual), psychomotor (technical), and interpersonal skills.

What should a professional nurse consider when delegating care to a worker with less knowledge and skills?

The decision to delegate is guided by the needs of the client, safety concerns, the number and type of available personnel, and the nursing management system of the unit or agency.

How do the types of nursing management systems differ?

In functional nursing, various levels of personnel are assigned tasks, depending on the complexity of the assignment. In team nursing, a registered nurse is responsible for planning and evaluating the care of a group of clients, assigning care according to acuity level, with professional nurses caring for more acutely ill clients, licensed practical nurses caring for less acutely ill clients, and nursing assistants assisting the nurse and doing simple chores. In primary nursing, the professional nurse assumes full, 24-hour responsibility for total client care for a small number of clients. The total client care model is a variation of primary nursing in which the responsibility for care changes as the shift changes. Modular nursing is another variation of primary nursing, with caregivers assigned to small segments or “modules” of the nursing unit. In case management, the nurse is responsible for planning, implementing, coordinating, and evaluating care for a client, regardless of the client’s location at any given time

What questions should be asked before implementing an intervention?

Before an intervention is implemented, five questions should be asked about the intervention: (1) What is to be done? (2) How is it to be done? (3) When should it be done? (4) Who will do it? and (5) How long should it be done?

What is the difference between standing orders and protocols?

Standing orders are standardized interventions written, approved, and signed by a health care practitioner. Protocols are series of standing orders or procedures that should be followed under certain specific conditions.

What are the six domains under which nursing interventions are organized in the NIC?

Nursing interventions are organized under the basic physiological, complex physiological, behavioral, safety, family, and health care delivery system domains.

How are nursing interventions in the NIC classified?

Nursing intervention activities in the NIC include activities of daily living, therapeutic interventions, monitoring and surveillance, client education, discharge planning, and supervising/coordinating nursing personnel.

Why is documentation of nursing interventions important?

Written documentation is important for effective communication and for reimbursement.

What should the nurse explain when implementing an intervention?

In addition to providing the client an opportunity to ask questions, the nurse should explain what the intervention involves, the sensations the client can expect (such as pain, pressure, dizziness), and the rational for the intervention.