Question · Clinical documentation

What does ADPIE stand for in nursing?

Short answer

ADPIE stands for assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation, the five steps of the nursing process. Nurses collect data, identify nursing diagnoses, set measurable goals, carry out interventions and then evaluate whether the goals were met. The steps repeat as the patient's condition changes, and care plans follow the same order.

A nurse in red scrubs taking an older woman's blood pressure

Answer and explanation

ADPIE is a memory aid for the nursing process, the method nurses use to plan and deliver care.

The five steps

Assessment: collect subjective and objective data.
Diagnosis: identify nursing diagnoses, often in NANDA-I terms.
Planning: set measurable goals and choose interventions.
Implementation: carry out and document the interventions.
Evaluation: check the goals, then continue, change or stop the plan.

Why it matters for students

Care plans follow it step by step, and case studies and NCLEX questions test it. Some programs add outcome identification (ADOPIE), so check which version yours uses.

Updated October 13, 2026