During which step of the nursing process does the nurse administer prescribed medications?

The correct answer is Implementation. During the implementation phase of the nursing process, the nurse carries out the planned interventions, which include administering prescribed medications. This step is crucial as it involves putting the care plan into action to address the patient's needs and achieve desired health outcomes.

Implementation encompasses a variety of tasks, not limited to medication administration, such as performing treatments, monitoring the patient’s response to interventions, and providing education. This phase directly translates into tangible actions that support the patient's ongoing care.

In contrast, assessment focuses on gathering information about the patient's health status, planning involves setting goals and determining the interventions needed, and evaluation is the process of measuring the effectiveness of the interventions and the patient's progress towards the goals set. Each phase of the nursing process is interconnected, but it is during implementation that the nurse actively engages with the patient by providing care, including medication administration.