In Sequential Stages, which sequence represents the stages?

• A. Initiation, Growth, Maturation, Decline
• B. Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, and Maintenance
• C. Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression
• D. Observation, Practice, Mastery

Answer: (B)

Understanding how people move through readiness to change helps nurses tailor interventions to a patient’s current mindset. The sequence Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, and Maintenance represents the stages of change, a model used to describe how behavioral modification happens over time. In precontemplation, individuals don’t intend to change soon, often not recognizing a need. In contemplation, they acknowledge the issue and weigh pros and cons, considering change. In preparation, they intend to take action and start planning concrete steps. In action, they actively modify their behaviors and environment. In maintenance, they work to sustain the new behavior and prevent relapse. This progression guides how to support patients at each point—using motivational approaches in contemplation, helping with goal setting in preparation, providing practical support during action, and strategies to maintain gains over time. The other options don’t fit this pattern: the first resembles a product life cycle, the third is grief stages, and the fourth outlines a general path to mastery rather than readiness to change.