The process of establishing priorities, identifying the solutions to existing problems, and allocating resources to achieve objectives.
The conscious design of desired future states (described in a plan by its goals and objectives, and description and selection among alternative means of achieving the goals and objectives), and the conduct of the activities necessary to the designing (such as data gathering and analysis) and the activities necessary to assure that the plan is achieved. There are many different definitions of planning and descriptions of different types, including: long-range or perspective (covering 15 or more years); mid-range or strategic (5-15 years); short-term or tactical (1-3 years); health facilities or manpower; community or program; categorical or comprehensive health; normative (based on norms or standards with legal basis); and inductive or deductive (used when the planning is done locally and consolidated and used at State and Federal levels (bubbled up), or vice versa (trickled down), respectively). The extent to which planning is responsible by definition for implementation of the plans is controversial, as is its relation to management.
The work of deciding and arranging how something should be done.
The analysis of needs, demands, and resources, followed by the proposal of steps to meet the demands and needs by use of the current resources and obtaining other resources as necessary.
In the nursing process, the step following nursing diagnosis. After the nursing diagnoses have been established, the next action is noting the priority of the diagnoses and indicating the actions that will accomplish the immediate and long-range goals of the nursing process. Specific nursing interventions are indicated, and the expected outcomes of these actions are recorded on the chart. This portion of the nursing process is dynamic and will need to be altered as the patient’s course evolves. The evaluation of the effectiveness of the nursing process will be essential to restating the plan for administering nursing care.