What should a nurse prioritize when developing a care plan?

When developing a care plan, prioritizing the immediate needs of the patient is essential because effective nursing care is centered on patient safety and well-being. Immediate needs address critical health concerns that require prompt intervention, ensuring patient stability and supporting positive health outcomes.

By focusing on what the patient requires at that moment—whether it's pain relief, management of acute symptoms, or ensuring basic physiological needs are met—the nurse can create a plan that is responsive to the patient's current condition. Such an approach also aligns with nursing principles such as patient-centered care, which emphasizes the importance of responding to the most pressing issues that could affect recovery or lead to further complications.

While other factors, such as hospital resources, personal preferences, and future visits, play important roles in the overall care strategy, they should not take precedence over the immediate needs of the patient at the time the care plan is created. Addressing these immediate needs lays the groundwork for effective long-term care planning.