[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) › [The nursing process and documentation](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/areas/process/) › Planning care: priorities, measurable goals and interventions # Planning care: priorities, measurable goals and interventions - Fundamental Planning means deciding which problem comes first, what result you want and what the team will do to get there. Updated Nov 5, 2026 ## Key points - Priority: Maslow and the ABCs; acute before chronic; actual problem generally before risk. - SMART goal: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. - The goal is about the patient («the patient walks…»), not the nurse. - Time frames depend on the setting: in critical care, short-term goals may be met within a shift and long-term ones within 24 hours; in outpatient care, about a month and six months. - Independent, dependent (on a medical order) and collaborative interventions. On this page - The basics Key points - What it is - Key points - Components - What it is for - Common mistakes - Memory aid - Safety Types of nursing intervention - In nursing practice - Study Test yourself - Connections Connections ## What it is Planning is the third phase of the nursing process. First the diagnoses are ranked, using Maslow's hierarchy and the ABCs (airway, breathing and circulation): acute, uncompensated problems before chronic ones, and actual problems generally before risks, unless the risk is high. Then each problem gets a patient-centred expected outcome that is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound (SMART). Finally, evidence-based interventions are chosen: independent, dependent or collaborative with the team. The plan is written down, shared with the patient and family, and revised when the situation changes. ## Key points - Maslow's hierarchy helps rank needs: physiological and safety needs first. - The goal's time frame is set by the nurse, the team and, when possible, the patient. - The plan is modified whenever ongoing assessment shows a change in the patient. - Institutions use standardised care plans, which the nurse adapts to each patient. ## Components - A prioritised nursing diagnosis. - An expected outcome with a measurable criterion and a time frame. - Concrete interventions: what, when, how often and who. - The reason for each intervention: which related factor it targets. - Space for evaluation and the review date. ## What it is for - It points the whole team toward the same results. - It keeps care continuous between shifts. - It makes it possible to evaluate later whether care worked. ## Types of nursing intervention | Type | Who initiates it | Examples | | --- | --- | --- | | Independent | The nurse, without a prescription | Repositioning, watching intake and output trends, therapeutic communication to cope with a new diagnosis | | Dependent | A prescription | Giving a prescribed medication on schedule | | Collaborative | Several disciplines of the team | Consulting the respiratory therapist about oxygen therapy; working with physiotherapy, occupational therapy or social work | ## In nursing practice - A badly written goal: «improve mobility». Better: «the patient walks to the bathroom with one person's help by day 3». - If the patient's goal is not realistic, a smaller, achievable goal is agreed with them. - Discharge needs are planned with the patient, the family and the team, for example with social work. ## Common mistakes - Goals that cannot be measured or have no time frame. - Goals written as nurse tasks instead of patient outcomes. - Dealing first with a chronic problem and leaving an acute, uncompensated one for later. - Leaving the patient and family out of goal setting. - Not updating the plan when the patient's condition changes. ## Memory aid SMART goal: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## What does it mean for a goal to be SMART? It is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and has a defined time frame. ## Which comes first, an actual problem or a risk? In general, the actual problem, unless the risk is high; airway, breathing and circulation are weighed first. ## What type of intervention is giving a prescribed medication? Dependent: the nurse does it on a medical order, while assessing and monitoring with their own judgment. ## Who should take part in setting the goals? The patient and, when feasible, the family, with the nurse and the team; this makes the goals more realistic and motivating. [Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/nursing/planning-care-priorities-measurable-goals-and-interventions/) ## Connections ## Related 1 - [Implementation and evaluation: was the goal met?](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/implementation-and-evaluation-was-the-goal-met/) [← All of nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) Educational content for students; it does not replace your institution's protocols, supervised clinical training or a prescriber's order. Dose-calculation examples use made-up numbers: they are educational, not a clinical order. Sources: [Nursing Fundamentals (Open RN), 4.4 Diagnosis](https://med.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Nursing/Nursing_Fundamentals_(OpenRN)/04%3A_Nursing_Process/4.04%3A_Diagnosis) (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College (LibreTexts), 2022); [Nursing Fundamentals (Open RN), 4.5 Outcome Identification](https://med.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Nursing/Nursing_Fundamentals_(OpenRN)/04%3A_Nursing_Process/4.05%3A_Outcome_Identification) (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College (LibreTexts), 2022); [Nursing Fundamentals (Open RN), 4.6 Planning](https://med.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Nursing/Nursing_Fundamentals_(OpenRN)/04%3A_Nursing_Process/4.06%3A_Planning) (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College (LibreTexts), 2022). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/nursing/planning-care-priorities-measurable-goals-and-interventions/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/nursing/planning-care-priorities-measurable-goals-and-interventions/