Final answer:
A subjective observation is something experienced by a person that cannot be objectively measured, like a resident complaining of a headache. Clinicians use tools like the Wong-Baker Faces scale to quantify the pain subjectively reported by patients. In contrast, objective observations can be directly measured and verified through tests and examinations.
Step-by-step explanation:
An example of a subjective observation is a resident complaining of a headache. Subjective observations include symptoms that are felt or experienced by the patient and cannot be clinically confirmed or objectively measured. Headaches are a symptom because they involve a sensation of pain that the patient experiences, which does not provide a direct measure that can be independently verified by another person. To manage this inherent subjectivity in symptom reporting, clinicians sometimes utilize tools to quantify these experiences. For example, the Wong-Baker Faces pain-rating scale enables patients to rate their pain on a scale from 0 to 10. Other measures, such as skin conductance fluctuations, also provide an indirect way to assess the physiological effects of symptoms like pain.
Contrasting with subjective observations are objective observations, which can be measured and confirmed through tests. For instance, if a patient suggests that they might have influenza because they have not received a vaccine, a physician would use objective tests such as a stethoscope to listen to breathing, chest radiography, and analysis of blood, urine, and sputum samples to confirm the diagnosis.