Assessment of the adult with cancer

The nursing process is a systematic method of problem-solving that incorporates four phases: assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation. These four steps, in actual practice, are continuous and cyclical. One may not be able to complete the entire data-gathering phase and then move on to the planning phase. For example, the nurse often finds it necessary to obtain a baseline assessment, plan for immediate care to meet priority needs, and then collect additional information at a later time to set goals for less pressing problems the patient may experience. Changing conditions and alterations in the patient's status requires continual reassessment and modification of approaches.