Implementation is the execution of the nursing care plan developed during the planning phase.
The five steps to implementing effective nursing care include reassessing the patient, reviewing and revising the existing nursing care plan, organizing the resources and care delivery, anticipating and preventing complications, and implementing nursing interventions.
Nursing requires cognitive, interpersonal, and psychomotor (technical) abilities. Nurses need each type of skill to implement direct and indirect nursing interventions. Direct care entails the application of cognitive skills (critical thinking, reflection, clinical judgment, creativity, and so on); interpersonal skills (caring, communication, comforting, advocacy, and counseling, among others); and technical or psychomotor abilities (lifting, giving injections, repositioning, etc.).
For indirect care, the treatments are performed through client interactions, such as medication administration. Likewise, indirect care includes treatments performed away from the client but on behalf of the client. Examples include communication of patient care with other healthcare providers, making referrals, advocating, and managing the environment.