Final answer:
LPNs cannot perform the diagnosis stage of the nursing process.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nursing process is a systematic method used by nurses to provide patient care. It consists of five steps: assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Each step is important for effective patient care, but the one step that LPNs (Licensed Practical Nurses) cannot perform independently is the diagnosis stage.
In the diagnosis step of the nursing process, registered nurses (RN) use their advanced knowledge and critical thinking skills to analyze the assessment data and make nursing diagnoses. LPNs can assist in gathering data during the assessment phase, but they are not authorized to make a nursing diagnosis.
For example, if a patient presents with symptoms such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath, an RN might diagnose them with pneumonia based on the assessment data. LPNs can support the RN by collecting vital signs, conducting physical assessments, and documenting changes in the patient's condition.