Help with Goals and Outcomes

Thanks Daytonite, but comparing that with an example my book has doesnt seem to fit for me still.

Heres an example from my book Fundamentals of Nursing by Potter and Perry

"For example, the nurse and client, who has one-sided cerebral vascular accident might develop the following goal: "Client's musculoskeletal system remains free of breakdown or contractures." A series of realistic outcomes would then be established to assist the client in meething this goal. These outcomes may include the following:

• Client's skin is clean, dry and intact without signs of inflammation.
• Clients skin remains elastic and well hydrated.
• Client's rang of join motion reamins within normal limits on both affected and unaffected side."

What I get from this is that the goal is a generalized idea that you are striving for, and the outcomes are more individualized "mini goals" that fall under the umbrella of the original goal. Is this correct? Since they look so simillar when written, I have trouble differentiating it.

I talked to my professor yesterday to see what she had to say about goals and outcomes.

She basically said that a goal is either short term, or long term and it is something like "patient will breath without difficulty". Then the outcomes would be more specific like "patient will be free of pain while breathing by such and such..." So in general a goal is less specific, and the outcomes are more specific aspects of the goals. Thanks for all the input!