Which of the following is an example of objective information?

Which of the following is an example of objective information?

• A. The resident says she has a rash on her torso.
• B. There are raised, red marks the size of pinpricks on Mrs. Johnson's torso.
• C. Mrs. Johnson must have a rash because she said that she's itchy.
• D. Mrs. Johnson needs some lotion.

Answer: (C)

Objective information is observable and verifiable by anyone examining the resident. The statement that there are raised, red marks the size of pinpricks on Mrs. Johnson’s torso is an example of this because it describes what a nurse can see during a physical assessment, without relying on the resident’s own report or personal interpretation. In contrast, the resident’s own report that she has a rash is subjective—it’s her personal sensation and description, not something independently observable. Saying she must have a rash because she says she’s itchy is an inference or diagnosis drawn from the symptom, not an observation. And stating that she needs lotion describes a care need or intervention rather than what is presently observable about the resident’s condition. So the best example of objective information here is the observable physical finding.

Objective information is observable and verifiable by anyone examining the resident. The statement that there are raised, red marks the size of pinpricks on Mrs. Johnson’s torso is an example of this because it describes what a nurse can see during a physical assessment, without relying on the resident’s own report or personal interpretation.

In contrast, the resident’s own report that she has a rash is subjective—it’s her personal sensation and description, not something independently observable. Saying she must have a rash because she says she’s itchy is an inference or diagnosis drawn from the symptom, not an observation. And stating that she needs lotion describes a care need or intervention rather than what is presently observable about the resident’s condition.

So the best example of objective information here is the observable physical finding.