Which end result translates into observable patient behaviors that are measurable and desirable?

Which end result translates into observable patient behaviors that are measurable and desirable?

• A. Unexpected Outcomes
• B. Expected Outcomes
• C. Sensitive Outcomes
• D. Accomplished Outcomes

Answer: (B)

In care planning, the end result you aim for must be observable, measurable, and desirable for the patient. That clarity lets you assess whether the plan worked. These target results are called expected outcomes because they are the planned changes in health status or behavior that you and the patient strive to achieve within a set timeframe. By defining them in observable terms—what the patient will do, say, or demonstrate—you have concrete criteria to evaluate progress. For example, an expected outcome might be that the patient will ambulate 50 feet with assistance by the end of the shift, or report pain at a 3/10 or lower after intervention. Other phrasing doesn’t capture that planned, desirable, observable change. An unexpected outcome refers to results that differ from what was anticipated, not the goal. Terms like “sensitive outcomes” or “accomplished outcomes” aren’t standard descriptors for the planned results in the nursing process, so they don’t convey the same clear, measurable target.

In care planning, the end result you aim for must be observable, measurable, and desirable for the patient. That clarity lets you assess whether the plan worked. These target results are called expected outcomes because they are the planned changes in health status or behavior that you and the patient strive to achieve within a set timeframe. By defining them in observable terms—what the patient will do, say, or demonstrate—you have concrete criteria to evaluate progress. For example, an expected outcome might be that the patient will ambulate 50 feet with assistance by the end of the shift, or report pain at a 3/10 or lower after intervention.

Other phrasing doesn’t capture that planned, desirable, observable change. An unexpected outcome refers to results that differ from what was anticipated, not the goal. Terms like “sensitive outcomes” or “accomplished outcomes” aren’t standard descriptors for the planned results in the nursing process, so they don’t convey the same clear, measurable target.