On our last BN test we had a section asking us to identify if certain situations would be subjective or objective data
One of the examples (which I missed) was the one listed in the poll
I still do not quite understand the explanation the Instructor gave as to why the answer was the one she said so I wondered if people here would give an explanation as to which one they believe it is
I am purposely waiting to say which I believe and which she said and why she said it so as not to influence anyone's choice LOL
But I promise I will give the explanation she gave after people have answered (If anyone bothers to that is)
To be perfectly honest - I think that it would vary by professor on the answer to that one. I have had similar questions befoer and put subjective - and it was counted WRONG! And the teacher told me the reasoning I used in my answer. So, that leaves me to believe that one professor would want one answer and another one a different answer.
My Instructor told me another of the Instructors missed it herself when she took the test! (We always split the class up with one half going to another room with another of our Instructors to take our tests - And the other Instructor usually takes the test "just because" while we do)
Missing a question like this one didn't bother me too much given that I made an A anyway - But it does make me think about how I would feel if I missed a question such as this on a final and missed passing the course by a fraction of a point!
Just remember the definitions of subjective & objective
SUBJECTIVE: arising out of or identified by means of one's perception
OBJECTIVE: expressing or dealing with facts or conditions
It was the mother's perception that the child's appetite had decreased. Since you didn't see it firsthand, then it is simply an opinion & therefore not objective. Now if the child was in the hospital & you were measuring his/her daily food intake, then it would become objective data.
It seems we're all saying the same thing. The question is how this situation would fit the answer. It's interesting to see the rationale for the choices.
I responded to the poll yesterday, but did not have time to explain why.
The mother's OPINION of the child's apetite was that it was not very good. However, we have no information as to whether or not the mother's opinion is valid or not. She could have a totally distorted view of what a healthy apetite/eating pattern is. Her expectations and view of what "normal" is may be totally out of whack. Unless there are measurable, concrete facts to back up that opinion, it is just an unsubstantiated statement -- not objective data.
As for the opinion that some posters stated that subjective data can only come from the patient him/herself -- well, most people consider "the patient" to include the patient and the family, etc. This is particularly true in pediatrics, where we get much of our history and similar information from the parents instead of the child.
Good thread and good discussion. As an experienced nurse who has done some teaching, I enjoy these types of discussions with students. I hope you don't mind my participation even though I am not a student.
If you were in my class and answered it as objective it would have been marked right. I asked my instructor about this on Sat. and she said it is still objective. Her reasoning was that the mother or anyone can observe how much or how little food the child ate. That the mother was the one that told you didn't matter, it is still objective.
det01
312 Posts
To be perfectly honest - I think that it would vary by professor on the answer to that one. I have had similar questions befoer and put subjective - and it was counted WRONG! And the teacher told me the reasoning I used in my answer. So, that leaves me to believe that one professor would want one answer and another one a different answer.