Understanding the nursing process

Support staff work closely with their patients and members of the multidisciplinary team to deliver high-quality care. Often this care will have been planned by a nurse using ‘the nursing process’. It is therefore important for the support worker to understand how the patient has been assessed and that the care they are providing has been planned. Within this article, the author will be discussing the nursing process, explaining the different stages and how these are used to deliver quality care. Relevant sections of The Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England ( Skills for Care and Skills for Health, 2013 ) will be highlighted. Support workers have a clear and important role in making sure the nursing process is successful and patients receive the best quality care.