When the patient's condition changes, which process should occur?

• A. RN Responsibility
• B. ADLs and routine care
• C. Reprioritization
• D. Client Deterioration

Answer: (C)

When a patient’s condition changes, you must reprioritize the plan of care. This means reassessing the situation, identifying what is most urgent or life-threatening, and reordering nursing actions to address those needs first. Reprioritization keeps care aligned with current risk and safety, ensuring that critical issues are managed promptly before less urgent tasks.

This isn’t just performing daily activities or waiting for a deterioration to become obvious; it’s actively adjusting priorities based on new information. Routine ADLs remain important, but they may be delayed or rearranged when a more urgent need arises. Reprioritization is the mechanism that moves the plan to reflect the new reality.