The Nursing Process
The Nursing Process ( 5 Questions)
A nurse is documenting the data collected from an ongoing assessment of a client who has diabetes mellitus. The nurse writes, "The client reports feeling thirsty and hungry all the time.”. How should the nurse label this type of data?
Objective data is anything that you can observe through your sense of hearing, sight, smell, and touch while assessing the patient. For example, vital signs, physical examination findings, and laboratory results are objective data. The client's report of feeling thirsty and hungry is not something that the nurse can observe directly, so it is not objective data.
Subjective data is information obtained from the patient and/or family members and offers important cues from their perspectives. For example, the patient's pain level, feelings, beliefs, and preferences are subjective data. The client's report of feeling thirsty and hungry is something that only the client can describe, so it is subjective data. This is the correct answer.
Primary data is information provided directly by the patient. For example, the patient's history, symptoms, and concerns are primary data. The client's report of feeling thirsty and hungry is primary data, but this is not the best answer because it does not specify whether it is subjective or objective. Primary data can be either subjective or objective depending on the source.
Secondary data is information collected from a family member, chart, or other sources. For example, the patient's previous records, family history, and test results are secondary data. The client's report of feeling thirsty and hungry is not secondary data because it comes from the client directly, not from another source.
Choice A reason:.
Objective data is anything that you can observe through your sense of hearing, sight, smell, and touch while assessing the patient. For example, vital signs, physical examination findings, and laboratory results are objective data. The client's report of feeling thirsty and hungry is not something that the nurse can observe directly, so it is not objective data.
Choice B reason:.
Subjective data is information obtained from the patient and/or family members and offers important cues from their perspectives. For example, the patient's pain level, feelings, beliefs, and preferences are subjective data. The client's report of feeling thirsty and hungry is something that only the client can describe, so it is subjective data. This is the correct answer.
Choice C reason:.
Primary data is information provided directly by the patient. For example, the patient's history, symptoms, and concerns are primary data. The client's report of feeling thirsty and hungry is primary data, but this is not the best answer because it does not specify whether it is subjective or objective. Primary data can be either subjective or objective depending on the source.
Choice D reason:.
Secondary data is information collected from a family member, chart, or other sources. For example, the patient's previous records, family history, and test results are secondary data. The client's report of feeling thirsty and hungry is not secondary data because it comes from the client directly, not from another source.