A nurse is completing an assessment of the patient. Which principle is a priority?

A) Foot care will always be important.
B) Daily bathing will always be important.
C) Hygiene needs will always be important.
D) Critical thinking will always be important.

A patient's condition is always changing, requiring ongoing critical thinking and changing of nursing diagnoses. Apply the elements of critical thinking as you use the nursing process to meet patients' hygiene needs. Critical thinking will help you determine when foot care, daily bathing, and hygiene needs are important and when they are not.