Which outcome statement is written correctly?

Which outcome statement is written correctly?

• A. The patient will eat 80% of all meals.
• B. The nursing assistant will set the patient up for a bath every day.
• C. The patient will have improved airway clearance by June 5.
• D. The patient will identify the need to increase dietary intake of fiber by June 5.

Answer: (D)

The main idea is to write outcomes that are clear, patient-centered, observable, and time-limited. A well-crafted outcome describes something the patient will be able to do or demonstrate, and it includes a specific deadline so progress can be measured. The statement that the patient will identify the need to increase dietary intake of fiber by June 5 fits best. It targets the patient’s learning—recognizing a need and understanding dietary changes—and it can be assessed through discussion or a teach-back, showing whether the patient has grasped that they should increase fiber. It is specific about what the patient will do (identify the need), it is measurable (you can verify whether the patient can articulate this), and it is time-bound (by June 5). Why the others aren’t as strong: a statement about eating a certain percentage of meals has a clear behavior, but it lacks a deadline, making it incomplete as a SMART outcome. A directive about a nursing assistant setting up a bath is an intervention by staff, not an outcome about the patient. A goal like “improved airway clearance by a date” is vague and lacks specifics on how improvement will be observed or measured, making it hard to evaluate reliably.

The main idea is to write outcomes that are clear, patient-centered, observable, and time-limited. A well-crafted outcome describes something the patient will be able to do or demonstrate, and it includes a specific deadline so progress can be measured.

The statement that the patient will identify the need to increase dietary intake of fiber by June 5 fits best. It targets the patient’s learning—recognizing a need and understanding dietary changes—and it can be assessed through discussion or a teach-back, showing whether the patient has grasped that they should increase fiber. It is specific about what the patient will do (identify the need), it is measurable (you can verify whether the patient can articulate this), and it is time-bound (by June 5).

Why the others aren’t as strong: a statement about eating a certain percentage of meals has a clear behavior, but it lacks a deadline, making it incomplete as a SMART outcome. A directive about a nursing assistant setting up a bath is an intervention by staff, not an outcome about the patient. A goal like “improved airway clearance by a date” is vague and lacks specifics on how improvement will be observed or measured, making it hard to evaluate reliably.