When a patient has met the goals for ambulatory status, the appropriate action is to

When a patient has met the goals for ambulatory status, the appropriate action is to

• A. Modify the care plan
• B. Discontinue the care plan
• C. Create a new patient problem that states goals have been met
• D. Reassess the patient’s response to care and evaluate the implementation step of the nursing process

Answer: (B)

When the patient has achieved the targeted ambulatory status, the plan of care should be discontinued because the defined goals have been met and there is no longer a need for active nursing interventions. This signals that the patient has reached the expected level of independence or mobility set by the care plan, so documentation should reflect that the goals were attained and the patient is now ready to maintain gains with routine self-care and any needed education or handoff instructions. If continued support is still necessary to sustain improvement or manage ongoing risk, the approach would shift to a maintenance or discharge plan rather than continuing the original active plan. Ongoing reassessment is still part of regular care, but the formal plan is concluded once goals are met.

When the patient has achieved the targeted ambulatory status, the plan of care should be discontinued because the defined goals have been met and there is no longer a need for active nursing interventions. This signals that the patient has reached the expected level of independence or mobility set by the care plan, so documentation should reflect that the goals were attained and the patient is now ready to maintain gains with routine self-care and any needed education or handoff instructions. If continued support is still necessary to sustain improvement or manage ongoing risk, the approach would shift to a maintenance or discharge plan rather than continuing the original active plan. Ongoing reassessment is still part of regular care, but the formal plan is concluded once goals are met.