Question

The nurse observes a patient lying rigidly in bed and taking shallow breaths. The patient reports a pain score of 4 out of 5 and says "my leg hurts." The nurse determines that the objective and subjective data are?A) Objective: Shallow breaths, Subjective: Leg pain

B) Objective: Rigid position, Subjective: Leg pain
C) Objective: Shallow breaths, Subjective: Pain score
D) Objective: Rigid position, Subjective: Pain score

Answer 1

Objective data includes measurable observations like rigid body position and shallow breathing, while subjective data involves the patient's personal experience of pain in the leg and their pain score.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the clinical scenario presented, the nurse observes two types of data: objective and subjective. Objective data is what can be observed and measured by the nurse such as the patient's behavior and vital signs. In this case, both the rigid body position in bed and the shallow breaths are objective observations. The subjective data comprise what the patient feels and communicates, which cannot be measured by someone else.

Thus, the patient reporting a pain score of
`4` out of
`5` and describing the pain in the leg falls under subjective data. The correct categorization of the nurse's observations would be Objective: Shallow breaths, Subjective: Leg pain.