A well-designed goal for a patient with fever would be which statement?

A well-designed goal for a patient with fever would be which statement?

• A. Have a lower temperature
• B. Be taught how to take an accurate temperature
• C. Be given aspirin every eight hours p.r.n
• D. Maintain fluid intake sufficient to prevent dehydration.

Answer: (D)

The key idea is choosing a goal that is a real, measurable outcome the patient can achieve. For someone with fever, staying well hydrated directly prevents dehydration, a common and important complication of fever. Fever increases fluid loss through sweating and higher metabolic rate, so a goal like maintaining fluid intake sufficient to prevent dehydration addresses a concrete health outcome and can be tracked (through intake records, urine output, and signs of hydration). It reflects a patient-centered, achievable result. The other statements describe steps or processes rather than an outcome. Lowering the temperature is an intended clinical effect but isn’t always immediately under the patient’s control and depends on treatment and illness. Being taught how to take an accurate temperature is about learning a skill, not about the health outcome itself. Being given aspirin is a treatment instruction, not a goal the patient works toward.

The key idea is choosing a goal that is a real, measurable outcome the patient can achieve. For someone with fever, staying well hydrated directly prevents dehydration, a common and important complication of fever. Fever increases fluid loss through sweating and higher metabolic rate, so a goal like maintaining fluid intake sufficient to prevent dehydration addresses a concrete health outcome and can be tracked (through intake records, urine output, and signs of hydration). It reflects a patient-centered, achievable result.

The other statements describe steps or processes rather than an outcome. Lowering the temperature is an intended clinical effect but isn’t always immediately under the patient’s control and depends on treatment and illness. Being taught how to take an accurate temperature is about learning a skill, not about the health outcome itself. Being given aspirin is a treatment instruction, not a goal the patient works toward.