subective/objective data

[NightOwl0624]

I have a quick question about subjective and objective information when gathering assessment data.

According to our book, subjective data can only be provided by the client. Objective is what you observe or measure.

If the client is unconscious and a family member is giving history, is this considered subjective or objective?

Thanks

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Hi,

I'm having trouble deciding if a sore throat is subjective or objective. You technically can see a sore throat when you assess the patient with a tongue blade? But a patient can also tell you their throat is sore...

You can't see a "sore" throat. What you can see when you examine someone who says they have a sore throat might be redness, exudate and swelling. When a patient says they have a sore throat, that is subjective data.

[Natingale, EdD, RN]

If the patients family member is telling you about the hx then its OBJECTIVE because it didnt come fromt he patient itself

Our professor asked us a similiar question in class and said it has to come DIRECTLY from the patient for it to be subjective.

Edited to say, I was taught the same thing

If a doctor tells you about a patients history its OBJECTIVE data

WHY? It didnt come from the patient

if the MOTHER of the patient gives you information

its objective data

WHY?

It didnt come from the patient.

Do we see a pattern forming yet?

Beth is 100% right,at least the way I was taught in class. Experience or not, sometimes we have to go with what is taught in class or by the book. In the OP's book she also quoted that subj. data comes DIRECTLY from the patient. no one else. toodles.

[Natingale, EdD, RN]

"Subjective data are obtained from the client, family, significant others, health care team members, and health records. Objective data are obtained through physical examination, results of diagnostic and laboratory tests, and pertinent nursing and medical literature" (Potter & Perry, p. 284, 2005,).

I was taught that Health records are also OBJECTIVE

Lab results, things you read ...all objective.

WHYYYYY?

because it didnt come from the patient.

[Dianacabana]

Hmmm...our text (Jarvis) explains it differently.

If its not measured or observed by the nurse, then its subjective. I would ask: How did the information get to the mother? Was it said to the mom by the pt? I think someone else had a great way to chart that as "Pt mother says..." But if the pt is a child and the mother says "He fell on his head" or "he shoved the pearls from my necklace up his nose" then I can definitely see your point.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

iposted this back on post #3. read it carefully. . .it means that when you are interviewing someone other than the patient, their views and perceptions are considered objective:

"

objective

":

"of or having to do with a known or perceived object as distinguished from something existing only in the mind of the subject, or person thinking. . .real. . .actual. . .determined by and emphasizing the features and characteristics of the object, or thing dealt with, rather than the thoughts, feelings, etc of the artist, writer, or speaker. . .in medicine, designating or of a symptom or condition

perceptible to others besides the patient

"

(page 1012,

webster's new world dictionary of the american language

, college edition, 1966).

[jjjoy, LPN]

Let's say a family member gives you this information about a patient:"I took his blood pressure last night. It was 160/80." In and of itself, a blood pressure reading is objective. However, you have no way to confirm that information. So in your assessment, you can't use that information as fact and state that "Pt blood pressure was 160/80 last night." You CAN say "wife states patient's blood pressure was 160/80 last night." Thus for your assessment purposes, that information falls under subjective data.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Let's say a family member gives you this information about a patient:"I took his blood pressure last night. It was 160/80." In and of itself, a blood pressure reading is objective. However, you have no way to confirm that information. So in your assessment, you can't use that information as fact and state that "Pt blood pressure was 160/80 last night." You CAN say "wife states patient's blood pressure was 160/80 last night." Thus for your assessment purposes, that information falls under subjective data.

No, no. That is incorrect. That information is considered objective. We accept that what they are telling us is objective information. We are not like a court of law and see it as being hearsay. If the reporter (the family member) believes it is true then we must assume it is and consider it objective information.

[jjjoy, LPN]

Daytonite, I have no problem agreeing with you that blood pressure is objective data. I agree that family reported BP is objective data.

We've seen in this short discussion already various definitions and interpretations of how subjective/objective assessment data is defined.

I should've said that if an instructor has strictly defined subjective data as "information told you by a patient (or patient proxy)" and objective data "information collected by direct observation and measurement" then this was a scenario where otherwise objective data MIGHT be argued to be subjective based upon the aforementioned definitions (and not upon the general use definitions of objective and subjective data). I apologize for the confusing example.

[lainith]

The whole subjective/objective thing bugs me. We get quizzed over this stuff all the time and it seems like the parameters always change. For example, one question on our quiz the other day asked if the following was objective or subjective: "Patient denies smoking". I choose subjective because it came from the patient and there's really no way to determine whether this is true or not. I got it wrong. Another question was about whether this was objective or subjective: "Heart rate within acceptable range, normal". I put subjective because "normal" is not a measurement. I got it wrong. I forgot I was going to ask my instructor to explain her basis for these rationales. Good luck.

[Natingale, EdD, RN]

I would say its objective data because it didnt come from the patient.

[HolyNameChild7]

Any data that cannot be observed directly, measured or verified is considered subjective.

A client, for example, stating he/she is in pain is subjective since pain cannot be directly observed BUT if a measure is applied (a 0-10 pain scale and location) the assessment data on a patient's pain can now be objective and documented accordingly.

Simplest definition I've been told from school.

[beth66335, BSN, RN]

I think we are all going to have to agree to disagree b/c we obviously have been taught by different teachers from different texts and we are not going to convince each other otherwise...answer questions about this based on what your school is teaching just my:twocents:

:deadhorse