This study explored the level of knowledge and the extent to which nurses apply the nursing process in managing patients in selected hospitals within Lagos State. The research was guided by four specific objectives and one hypothesis. A survey research design was employed, utilizing a structured questionnaire administered to a randomly selected sample of 382 nurses. Data were collected using a self-designed questionnaire and organized using Microsoft Excel before being analyzed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Demographic data were presented using descriptive statistics, including frequency tables and percentages. A descriptive analysis was also performed to summarize the data, while inferential statistics, specifically Chi-square tests, were used to examine the hypothesis at a 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that a majority of the nurses demonstrated a high level of knowledge of the nursing process. Specifically, 217 nurses (57.3%) rated their knowledge as excellent, while 88 (23%) considered their knowledge to be good. Almost all participants (98.4%) were familiar with the five key steps of the nursing process—Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation— and expressed confidence in developing nursing care plans. Additionally, 244 nurses (63.9%) reported consistently using the nursing process in daily patient care, and 90 (23.6%)indicated frequent use. Several barriers to the effective implementation of the nursing process were identified. These included lack of time (64.9%), high patient load (83.8%), insufficient staffing (90.3%), limited resources (57.1%), inadequate training (29.3%), and lack of managerial support (23.3%). The study also found a statistically significant relationship (p < 0.05) between nurses’ knowledge and their utilization of the nursing process. The study recommends ongoing professional education, adequate staffing to reduce workload, and stronger management support to promote better use of the nursing process in patient care.